Committee: Arab League
Issue: The Issue of Sudan and South Sudan
Student Officer: Farida Soliman (Arab League President), Malak Wahdan (Arab League Chair)
I. Introduction
The issue of Sudan and South Sudan is an issue with many aspects, which makes the conflict difficult to solve. The region has been filled with conflict soon after the birth of the new state, South Sudan, and after the split occurred, with disputes and conflicts arising from both the North and the South of Sudan.
Following the creation of the new independent state of South Sudan in 2011 tension between the two states increased due to the new territorial disputes arising from the Darfur region, the Abyei region, Heglig, Kafia Kingi and more. Even though in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement a provisional border was outlined and several other issues were cleared up, the region continues to experience instability on a political, social, and economic level with violence breaking out as the conflict drags on.
This conflict has not only negatively affected relations between Sudan and South Sudan, it has also affected the civilians in the region as well as the economy of both Sudan and South Sudan with more damage being made in South Sudan due to the heavy dependence on oil revenue, poor infrastructure, as well as the fact that it is a newly created state without a powerful economic foundation. Furthermore the repercussions of the conflict and the effect of the conflict on civilian life has been catastrophic with South Sudan experiencing what is considered the “worst” famine in the world today. In addition to the fact that the conflict which started more than a decade ago has led to a massive increase of IDP’s , refugees, and asylum seekers.
II. Key Vocabulary
Arbitration: “A legally binding method of resolving disputes outside the courts with only limited opportunity to appeal the result...International arbitration addresses any case or potential dispute between parties, usually located in two different countries.”1
Asylum: “The protection granted by a state to someone who has left their home country as a political refugee.”2
1 "International Arbitration." Practice Area -. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Aug. 2014.
2"Define Asylum." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014.
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Buffer Zone: “A neutral zone or area between two potentially hostile nations, designed to prevent any overt acts of aggression.”3
IDPs: “An internally displaced person (IDP) is a person who has been forced to flee his or her home for the same reason as a refugee, but remains in his or her own country and has not crossed an international border. Unlike refugees, IDPs are not protected by international law or eligible to receive many types of aid.”4
Referendum: “A general vote by the electorate on a single political question which has been referred to them for a direct decision.”5
Sovereignty: “A country’s independent authority and the right to govern itself.”6
III- Involved Countries and Organizations
China
One of the most important foreign influences in the Sudanese region would be the People’s Republic of China, China has been involved in the Sudanese region long before the split of Sudan and South Sudan. The Chinese government has economic interests in the region as well as military ties with the Sudanese government.
Over the past few years of the conflict ties between China and Sudan have been mostly regarding the oil in the region as well as the transfer of arms from the Chinese government to the Sudanese government in order to fuel and maintain the conflict between Sudan and South Sudan. “China's need for oil reserves for its growing domestic economy has caused its government to pursue investments in many countries of marginal stability and democracy, but its greatest oil success abroad has been in Sudan”. 7China’s investments in Sudan had started by 1996 as it invested in GNPOC, and by then it was already an arms dealer to numerous Sudanese governments, such as the Nimeiri government. However when the civil war in Sudan escalated in 1990 China’s relations increased with China supplying Sudan with arms, and Sudan supplying China with oil in return. “Weapons deliveries from China to Sudan since 1995 have included ammunition, tanks, helicopters, and fighter aircraft. The SPLA in 1997 overran government garrison towns in the south, and in one town alone, Yei, a Human Rights Watch researcher saw eight Chinese 122 mm towed howitzers, five Chinese-made T-59 tanks, and one Chinese 37 mm anti-aircraft gun abandoned by the government army.”
3 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/buffer+zone 4 http://www.unrefugees.org/site/c.lfIQKSOwFqG/b.4950731/k.A894/What_is_a_refugee.htm 5https://www.google.com.eg/search?q=define+referendum&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en- US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=fflb&gfe_rd=cr&ei=XpLfU8mVN6qI8QfVxYHYDQ 6 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sovereignty 7 http://www.hrw.org/reports/2003/sudan1103/26.htm 2
United States of America
Much like China, the United States’ interests in the region are heavily dependent on oil. In addition the USA also provides the Sudanese government with military support. However the USA also exerted efforts in maintaining peace and stability in the region by strongly supporting the Peacekeeping Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) as well as sending military and medical support to aid the UNMIS. Furthermore the USA is now seen as a mediator between the two nations by supporting peaceful and democratic negotiations, UN missions and agreements, as well as the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
“The main groups of people of concern to UNHCR in Sudan are refugees from Eritrea and Ethiopia, who have sought asylum for the last 40 years due to human rights abuse or forced conscription in their countries of origin; Sudanese internally displaced people (IDPs) who moved inside Sudan to escape fighting in Darfur and in the Protocol Areas; and South Sudanese individuals who are at risk of statelessness.”8
“The main groups of people of concern planned for in 2014 under the South Sudan operation are: refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia and Sudan, people at risk of becoming stateless, as well as IDPs and returnees.
Some 210,000 refugees have fled the conflict in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states in Sudan since 2011. South Sudan provides asylum to 13,600 refugees from the DRC, 6,000 from Ethiopia and 1,600 from the CAR.
Pending the implementation of the "Four Freedoms" agreement (a 2012 agreement between Sudan and South Sudan which allows citizens to enjoy freedom of movement, residence, freedom to undertake economic activity and to acquire and dispose of property), the risk of becoming stateless remains high for individuals of mixed Sudanese-South Sudanese origin or belonging to border ethnic groups, as well as for those with long residence in Sudan or other countries.”9
African Union
One of the fundamental aims of the African Union (AU) is to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its members. As such, it has closely attentive of the Sudan/ South Sudan conflict, and has undergone multiple efforts aimed at mitigating the situation. “A Commission of Inquiry has been appointed to investigate human rights violations and other abuses committed during the armed conflict that broke out in South Sudan in mid-December 2013.”10
8 http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e483b76.html
9 http://www.unhcr.org/pages/4e43cb466.html
10 http://www.peaceau.org/en/article/south-sudan-commission-of-inquiry-established-and-members-appointed 3
Sudan People’s Liberation Movement
One of the main parties involved in the Second Sudanese Civil War, which was ended after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed by the SPLM, SPLA (army) and Sudanese Government. Afterwards, the SPLM formed a majority of the semi- autonomous Southern Sudanese Government. When South Sudan became an independent state on the 9th of July, 2011, SPLM became the ruling party of the new republic. Consequent to the ongoing South Sudanese Civil War, the SPLM factionalized further into the SPLM- Juba and SPLM-IO.
United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei
“The Security Council responded to the urgent situation in Sudan’s Abyei region by establishing the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). The Security Council was deeply concerned by the violence, escalating tensions and population displacement. The operation has been tasked with monitoring the flashpoint border between north and south and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid, and is authorized to use force in protecting civilians and humanitarian workers in Abyei.”11
United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan
“In 2011, the Security Council determined that the situation faced by South Sudan continued to constitute a threat to international peace and security in the region and established the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) to consolidate peace and security and to help establish conditions for development. Following the crisis which broke out in South Sudan in December 2013, the Security Council reinforced UNMISS and reprioritized its mandate towards the protection of civilians, human rights monitoring, and support for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and for the implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.”12
United Nations Mission in the Sudan
“The Security Council decided to establish the United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) to support implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed by the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army on 9 January 2005; and to perform certain functions relating to humanitarian assistance, and protection and promotion of human rights. UNMIS provided good offices and political support to the parties, monitored and verified their security arrangements and assisted in a number of other areas, including
11 http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/unisfa/ 12 http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/unmiss/ 4
governance, recovery and development.”13 However, the mandate ended on July 9, 2011 following the completion of the interim period set up by the Government of Sudan and SPLM, being shortly replaced by the UNMISS (see above).
III. Focused Overview of the Issue
As mentioned earlier the issue of Sudan and South Sudan revolves mainly around territorial disputes, disputes regarding the oil in the region, and the effect of the disputes and the conflict on the civilians in both Sudan and South Sudan. Therefore the focus of this topic is on the oil in the region, the territorial disputes, and the effect on civilians in the region.
Oil
“South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in July 2011. Most of the oil is now produced in South Sudan, but the country is landlocked and remains dependent on Sudan because it must use Sudan's export pipelines and processing facilities. In early 2012, South Sudan voluntarily shut in all of its oil production because of a dispute with Sudan over oil transit fees.
The unified Sudan has been producing oil since the 1990s. Most of the producing assets are near or extend across the de facto border between Sudan and South Sudan. When South Sudan became independent in July 2011, it gained control over most of the oil production. But South Sudan is landlocked and remains dependent on Sudan because it must use Sudan's export pipelines and processing facilities.
In January 2012, South Sudan voluntarily shut in all of its oil production because of a dispute with Sudan over oil transit fees. Following South Sudan's secession, Sudan requested transit fees of $32-36/barrel (bbl) in an attempt to make up for the oil revenue loss, while South Sudan offered a transit fee of less than $1/bbl. Tensions escalated at the end of 2011 when Sudan began to confiscate a portion of South Sudan's oil as a payment for unpaid transit fees, and shortly after, South Sudan shut down production. After nearly 15 months of intermittent negotiations, South Sudan restarted oil production in April 2013. Despite the progress that has been made to reconcile differences, several unresolved issues remain and production may be curtailed again in the future.
Oil plays a vital role in the economies of both countries. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), oil represented around 57 percent of Sudan's total government revenue and around 78 percent of export earnings in 2011, while it represented around 98 percent of total government revenues for South Sudan in 2011. The IMF projected that Sudan's oil earnings substantially declined following the South's secession. According to IMF estimates, oil accounted for 32 percent of total export earnings and 30 percent of Sudan's total government revenue in 2012.”14
13 http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/past/unmis/ 14 http://www.eia.gov/countries/cab.cfm?fips=su
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According to the IMF, South Sudan’s oil reserves will likely halve by 2020, so there is pressure to shift the heavy reliance on oil to a different economic sector.
Civilians
The effect of the conflicts on civilian life has recently sparked attention from the international world, with many countries evaluating the effect of the crisis and conflict on the civilians.
Statement by South Sudan regarding the refugee crisis: “We are concerned about the difficulties that refugees face, and conscious that these problems may escalate further due to the increasing number of large-scale movements of population in surrounding countries. Therefore, the Government of South Sudan is dedicated to enacting, its Refugee Bill that will deal with the following: [1] to provide for reception into South Sudan of asylum-seekers; [2] to regulate applications for recognition of refugee status; and [3] to provide rights and obligations flowing from the status. On the adoption of the Refugee Bill, we shall nominate three Commissioners for Refugees who shall be deployed to the most sensitive States of the country where refugee influx is highest, namely Upper Nile, Unity, and Western Equatoria States.”
Aside from Amnesty International’s appeal to both Sudan and South Sudan, imploring they attend to the rampant international and humanitarian law violations that ensued over the course of the conflict, there is a range of other social repercussions. One such an issue is the South Sudanese hunger crisis which is projected to affect four million people in the area. South Sudan’s president has already warned of “one of the worst famines ever.” Coupled with starvation, the people of the south also suffer from lack of healthcare and sanitation, which is becoming increasingly dangerous with the outbreak of viruses such as ebola. Furthermore, over 40000 people were displaced from South Sudan as a cause of the flood in Unity State. Not only has South Sudan been inflicted with conflict and natural disasters, but it also characterized by low mortality rates and illiteracy. As such, a total of over 1.5 million South Sudanese have been displaced since the beginning of the domestic crisis, around a third of which have fled to countries such as Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda, the rest being internally displaced persons.
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Territorial Disputes
Due to the split of South Sudan from Sudan in 2011 there have been many border-related disputes between the neighboring countries with both Sudan and South Sudan claiming sovereignty (see below) over the same areas and the same regions. The most prominent disputed regions or areas would be the Abyei Region, Kafia Kingi, and finally Heglig.
Starting with the biggest and most violent region, Abyei. The Abyei region lies on the provisional border between Sudan and South Sudan with most of the region falling in Sudan and not South Sudan. The reasons for the ongoing disputes in this region include the fact that the Abyei region is the second biggest oil field in both the North and the South. With Sudan claiming sovereignty due to the fact that, firstly, it lies within it’s borders, and secondly South Sudan already has more oil reserves in its region. However South Sudan argues that with a newly established country and economy, south Sudan’s inability to sustain an economy that is not dependent on oil would mean that the country would collapse and would not be able to sustain itself. Despite both sides having interests in the region the reason for the ongoing conflict and the complications is due to the foreign interests from countries such as China, Russia, and the United States, with the aforementioned countries militarily aiding Sudan in order to have access to the oil fields. Therefore it is clear that the Abyei region is on with many interests and complications.
The solutions and measures taken to solve this issue arose in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the Abyei Protocol both of which are signed by the Vice President of Sudan (representing the Government of Sudan), the Chairman of the SPLM/A (representing South Sudan) and it is also signed (and witnessed) by Kenya, Italy, Egypt, Uganda, Netherlands, Norwegian government, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, United States, African Union, European Union, Arab League, IPF, and special representative of the Secretary General in the Sudan on behalf of the United Nations. The CPA and the Abyei Protocol clarify the oil revenue division and how the jurisdiction over the Abyei region, however the Abyei Protocol is implemented by neither Sudan nor South Sudan despite both countries signing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
The second disputed region is called Heglig and it’s situation is similar to that of Abyei, with the borders between Sudan and South Sudan agreed upon in the CPA but without implementation from both sides. In the CPA it was agreed that Heglig would be under Sudan’s jurisdiction as it is Sudan’s largest oil field. Much like Abyei, Heglig is another oil-filled area and therefore the revenue that can be made from the area is extremely high, which is why, recently, Heglig has been in a war-zone like situation with South Sudanese troops constantly attempting to invade the area.
Another disputed area over the border between Sudan and South Sudan is Kafia Kingi. Kafia Kingi is an ethnically diverse and a densely populated area that is rich with minerals such as copper, gold, uranium, and petroleum.
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IV. Important Events & Chronology
Date (D/M/Y) Event
1955- 1972 First Sudanese Civil War
1983- 2005 Second Sudanese Civil War
20/07/2002 The Machakos Protocol: The Sudanese government and SPLA agree on broad principles of government and governance, allowing South Sudan to seek self-determination after six years.
25/09/2003 The Agreement on Security Arrangements
07/01/2004 The Agreement on Wealth Sharing
26/05/2004 The Protocol on Power Sharing
26/05/2004 The Protocol on Resolution of the Conflict in Abyei Area
26/05/2004 The Protocol on the Resolution of the Conflict in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States
30/10/2004 The Permanent Ceasefire and Security Arrangements Implementation Modalities and Appendices
31/12/2004 The Implementation Modalities and Global Implementation Matrix and Appendices
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09/01/2005 North/ South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) ends civil war, marking the commencement of implementation activities.
07/2005 New Sudanese constitution gives the south a large degree autonomy
09/2005 Power- sharing government formed in Khartoum
10/2005 Autonomous government formed in South Sudan, as per the CPA’s settlements
10/2007 SPLM temporarily withdraws from the national unity government, accusing it of failing to honor the CPA
12/2007 SPLM returns to national unity government
03/2008 Clashes between an Arab militia and SPLM in the disputed Abyei area
05/2008 Clashes between northern and southern forces in disputed oil- rich town of Abyei
06/2008 Leaders of both Sudan and South Sudan agree to seek international arbitration to resolve the dispute over Abyei
07/2009 North and South Sudan accept the ruling by an arbitration court in The Hague that shrinks the Abyei region and places the major Heglig oil field in the north
12/2009 Leaders of North and South Sudan agree on independence due in South by 2011
01/2010 President says he will accept referendum result, even if South opts for independence
01/2011 South Sudan vote in favor of independence from Sudan
02/2011 Clashes in South Sudan break out near Abyei
03/2011 South Sudan suspends talks with North Sudan, accusing it of plotting a coup
05/2011 North Sudan occupies Abyei
06/2011 Governments of North and South Sudan sign an accord to demilitarize Abyei, letting in an Ethiopian peacekeeping force
9/07/2011 South Sudan independence day
10/2011 South Sudan and Sudan agree to set up several committee tasked with resolving their outstanding disputes
11/2011 South Sudan blames Sudan for bombardment of a refugee camp in Unity State, Sudan’s army
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denying responsibility
02/2012 Sudan and South Sudan sign non- aggression pact, but Sudan then shuts down the South’s oil export pipelines in a dispute over fees. Consequently, South Sudan massively cuts down on public spending.
04/2012 After weeks of border fighting, South Sudan troops temporarily occupy the oil field and border town of Heglig before being stopped. Sudanese warplanes raid an area in South Sudan.
05/2012 Sudan pledges to pull its troops out of Abyei as bilateral peace talks resume
08/2012 Refugees flee into South Sudan to escape fighting between Sudanese army and rebels
09/2012 Presidents of Sudan and South Sudan agree on trade, oil and security deals. Plan to set up a demilitarised buffer zone, laying the grounds for oil sales to resume. However, border issues, including that of Abyei, are not resolved.
03/2013 Sudan and South Sudan agree to resume pumping oil after a dispute over fees. They also agreed to withdraw troops from their border area to create a demilitarized zone.
12/2013- Present South Sudanese Civil War15
V. Past Resolutions and Treaties
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement:
In order to end the Second Sudanese Civil War, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was established and in January 2005 it was signed by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the Sudanese Government. The Comprehensive Peace agreement was established to create a democratic solution, share oil revenues, and establish a time in which a referendum could be set up to ensure the independence of South Sudan.
The Six Agreements: Under the mediation of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Government of the Sudan and the SPLM/A signed a series of six agreements:
I. The Protocol of Machakos: Signed in Machakos, Kenya, on 20 July 2002, in which the parties agreed on a broad framework, setting forth the principles of governance, the transitional process and the structures of government as well as on the right to self-determination for the people of South Sudan, and on state and religion
15 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14019202
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II. The Protocol on security arrangements: Signed in Naivasha, Kenya, on 25 September 2003
III. The Protocol on wealth-sharing: Signed in Naivasha, Kenya, on 7 January 2004
IV. The Protocol on Power-sharing: Signed in Naivasha, Kenya, on 26 May 2004
V. The Protocol on the resolution of conflict in southern Kordofan/Nuba Mountains and the Blue Nile States: Signed in Naivasha, Kenya, on 26 May 2004
VI. The Protocol on the resolution of conflict in Abyei: Signed in Naivasha, Kenya, on 26 May 200416
The Abyei Protocol:
The Abyei Protocol was established with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement regarding the Abyei Region which is on the borders of both Sudan and South Sudan with both nations claiming the right to the area. The region is near Heglig which is another resourceful area with many oil reserves and so over the past years the region has been in turmoil. In order to settle the dispute the Abyei Protocol was drafted from the “Protocol on the resolution of conflict in Abyei”. The Agreements made in the Abyei Protocol include: In General:
• Abyei is a bridge between the north and the south, linking the people of Sudan; • The territory is defined as the area of the nine Ngok Dinka Chiefdoms transferred to Kordofan in 1905; • The Misseriya and other nomadic peoples retain their traditional rights to graze cattle and move across the territory of Abyei.
16 "CPA." CPA. UNMIS, n.d. Web. 04 Aug. 2014.
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Interim Period: Upon signing the peace agreement, Abyei will be accorded special administrative status, in which: • Residents of Abyei will be citizens of both Western Kordofan and Bahr el Ghazal, with representation in the legislatures of both states; • Abyei will be administered by a local Executive Council, elected by the residents of Abyei. Pending the election of the Executive Council, its initial members will be appointed by the Presidency; • Net oil revenues from Abyei will be divided six ways during the Interim Period: the National Government Fifty percent (50%); the Government of Southern Sudan Forty-Two percent (42%); Bahr el Ghazal region Two percent (2%); Western Kordofan Two percent (2%); locally with the Ngok Dinka Two percent (2%); and locally with the Misseriya people Two percent (2%); • The National Government will provide Abyei with assistance to improve the lives of the peoples of Abyei, including urbanization and development projects; • International monitors will be deployed to Abyei to ensure full implementation of these agreements.
End of Interim Period: Simultaneously with the referendum for Southern Sudan, the residents of Abyei will cast a separate ballot. The proposition voted on in the separate ballot will present the residents of Abyei with the following choices, irrespective of the results of the southern referendum: • That Abyei retain its special administrative status in the north; • That Abyei be part of Bahr el Ghazal; • The January 1, 1956 line between north and south will be inviolate, except as agreed above17
Security Council Resolutions:
Resolution 1996 (2011) Adopted by the Security Council at its 6576th meeting, on 8 July 2011: This resolution by the UNSC marked the creation of the United Nations Mission In South Sudan (UNMISS) for an initial period of one year and also created the possibility of extending the mission’s stay if necessary. In this resolution the specific aspects of the UNMISS were decided, such as the size and amount of the military personnel as well as the purpose and function of the UNMISS. Clause 1: “Decides that UNMISS will consist of up to 7,000 military personnel, including military liaison officers and staff officers, up to 900 civilian police personnel, including as appropriate formed units, and an appropriate civilian component, including technical human rights investigation expertise; and further decides to review in three and six months whether the conditions on the ground could allow a reduction of military personnel to a level of 6,000”
17 The Abyei Protocol
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Clause 6: “Demands that the Government of the Republic of South Sudan and all relevant parties cooperate fully in the deployment, operations, and monitoring, verification, and reporting functions of UNMISS, in particular by guaranteeing the safety, security and unrestricted freedom of movement of United Nations personnel, as well as of associated personnel throughout the territory of the Republic of South Sudan”
Resolution 2155 (2014) Adopted by the Security Council at its 7182nd meeting, on 27 May 2014: “The Security Council extends the mandate of UNMISS until 30 November 2014, and decides to increase UNMISS troop strength to 12,500 and a police component to 1,323 personnel and reprioritize its mandate towards the protection of civilians, human rights monitoring and support for the delivery of humanitarian assistance” 18
Report of the Secretary-General on South Sudan on 20 June 2013: The report presented to the Security Council following Resolution 1996 (2011) Adopted by the Security Council at its 6576th meeting, on 8 July 2011 is a report that summerizes the situation in South Sudan regarding the Political Developments, the Economic Situation, the Regional Issues, Security Situation, and the Humanitarian Situation. For example: Political Developments: • As South Sudan approaches the second anniversary of its independence, on 9 July 2013, the Government of South Sudan continues to face numerous challenges, including the ongoing internal instability and the austerity measures adopted following the shutdown of oil production in January 2012. • The National Constitutional Review Commission approved a revised workplan in the light of the extension of its mandate until 31 December 2014. The Commission started a preliminary review of the Transitional Constitution through its five specialized subcommittees. Economic Situation: • On 23 April, during his address to the National Legislative Assembly, President Salva Kiir cautioned that the national budget would continue to retain many of the current austerity measures until at least 2014. The President also reaffirmed that South Sudan would seek to diversify its revenue sources in order to reduce its dependency on oil. Regional Issues: • On 23 April, during his address to the National Legislative Assembly, President Salva Kiir cautioned that the national budget would continue to retain many of the current austerity measures until at least 2014. The President also reaffirmed that South Sudan would seek to diversify its revenue sources in order to reduce its dependency on oil.
18 "Resolutions of the Security Council on UNMISS - United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan." UN News Center. UN, n.d. Web. 04 Aug. 2014.
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Security Situation: • A significant deterioration in the security situation in Jonglei State, owing to increased activity of armed groups and military operations by South Sudanese security forces, had spillover effects on neighbouring Eastern Equatoria, Central Equatoria and Upper Nile States. A significant deterioration in the security situation in Jonglei State, owing to increased activity of armed groups and military operations by South Sudanese security forces, had spillover effects on neighbouring Eastern Equatoria, Central Equatoria and Upper Nile States Humanitarian Situation: • Hostilities in Jonglei State, the refugee situation and food insecurity were the key humanitarian challenges. While an overall improvement in food security was reported compared with 2012, it is anticipated that at least 1 million people will continue to be severely food insecure in 2013. 19
VI. Failed Solution Attempts
“While the world’s reaction time to Sudan may have been slow, it has tried to help Sudan in various ways. Providing peacekeeping troops, mediating negotiations, monitoring the ceasefire, supplying aid, and attempting to influence al-Bashir are just some of the many ways that the international community has tried to help Sudan. And yet, none of the world’s efforts have been effective thus far. Back in 2005, Sudan created the Framework for Sustained Peace, Development, and Poverty Eradication. The world was hopeful that the six-year plan would produce results, however to the world’s disappointment, it sparked little progress. Just this past March, the article, “The AU welcomes progress in Sudan/ South Sudan relations” optimistically reported on a meeting between the two countries in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. Both nations signed security agreements that were geared towards ending conflict and restarting oil production, giving the world hope that perhaps this time, change would ensue. However, an article published just one month later claims that a meeting between Sudan and the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement went poorly. Even though Sudan’s meeting with South Sudan was effective, the South allegedly backs the SPLM, who remain a “humanitarian situation” for Sudan. Without reaching an agreement with both parties, success is not guaranteed, for South Sudan continues to support the rebel group who in return continue to attack Sudan.”20 Although there have been countless efforts to mitigate this ongoing conflict, its interminable nature is, in itself, an indication of the overall ineffectiveness of any efforts to mitigate the issue. The conflict has not only resulted in territorial disputes, but it has spanned to involve many different problems such as oil and other economic issues, refugees, and domestic stability and sustainability.
19 Report of the Secretary-General on South Sudan on 20 June 2013:
20 http://eheits.wordpress.com/
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VII. Possible Solutions
The solutions for the issue of Sudan and South Sudan should tackle 3 main ideas and problems.
1. The core of the issue, which includes the relationship between Sudan and South Sudan whether political or economic.
2. The ongoing conflict and violence in the disputed regions such as the Abyei Region, Heglig, and other border- related issues.
3. Solutions should also included a crucial aspect in the issue of Sudan and South Sudan, which is the effect of the crisis on civilian life, such as the increased amount of refugees, IDPs, famine, and the effect of the crisis on infrastructure as well as education.
Therefore delegates’ resolutions should aim towards stabilizing the region by increasing and improving relations between Sudan and South Sudan, as well as providing measures to prevent the violence and ensure peace and security by means such as but not limited to utilizing the already existent Peacekeeping forces, and finally delegates should come up with solutions that deal with the aftermath of the crisis and the effect on civilians by improving refugee camps and preventing the overflow of refugees into neighboring countries such as the Republic of Chad.
VIII. Useful Links
http://www.cfr.org/region/sudan/ri369?groupby=1&page=1&id=369 http://www.cfr.org/region/south-sudan/ri211?groupby=1&id=211&filter=104 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14019202 http://www.insightonconflict.org/conflicts/sudan/conflict-profile/ http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/ http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N13/357/82/PDF/N1335782.pdf?OpenElement
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IX. Works Cited
• "Buffer Zone." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 05 Aug. 2014.
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• "What Is a Refugee? - USA for UNHCR." What Is a Refugee? - USA for UNHCR. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Aug. 2014.
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