Hentet fra Washington Post –
Any effort to halt violence in Sudan also must address South Sudan
The world’s attention is now rightly focused on the brutal civil war in Sudan, which has claimed thousands of lives, unleashed a great humanitarian catastrophe and witnessed horrendous atrocities committed by the warring groups. Still, this focus overlooks the dire conditions in South Sudan, its southern neighbor.
South Sudan’s long desire for self-determination culminated in its independence from Sudan on July 9, 2011, after decades of wars that claimed millions of lives.
Unfortunately, since its independence, South Sudan has never had any semblance of peace or democracy. Salva Kiir Mayardit, the unelected first president, has remained in office ever since. His authoritarian leadership has been marked by gross human rights violations, corruption and political instability, including a civil war that killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan recently concluded that systemic corruption combined with political intransigence is fueling fresh violence.
Source: South Sudan needs a peace plan – Washington Times
Mr. Kiir’s government is not a neutral bystander to the civil war in Sudan. To the contrary, the South Sudan government has enabled the warring parties and profited from the violence. Sudan and South Sudan are so closely interconnected that any political conflict in either country has direct effects and spills over into the other.
The international community should not only recognize the destabilizing impact the Kiir government has had on the tragic war in Sudan but also come to terms with the fact that recognizing the problem alone is not enough. To ensure peace and stability in Sudan, a peace process is needed to concurrently resolve the conflict in South Sudan. This is essential to achieving regional peace and stability in this strategic region of the Horn of Africa.
A viable alternative for peace and stability in South Sudan has long been articulated by our movement, the National Salvation Front. NAS was formed in March 2017 with a mission to transform the failing young state of South Sudan into a stabilizing force in the region, grounded in democratic good governance based on federalism, accountability, human rights and principled engagement. These values are not abstract ideals; they form the foundation for how a stable South Sudan could live in peace and engage with its neighbors — particularly Sudan, in partnership to achieve political stability, security and economic prosperity.
A South Sudan inspired by such principles would be capable of acting not as a destabilizer in Sudan’s conflict but as a credible advocate for peace and development. It would prioritize strengthening state institutions, securing its borders, and ensuring that its territory is never used as a conduit for armed actors. It would approach economic diplomacy, especially regarding vital oil infrastructure, not as a tool of political patronage but as a mechanism for promoting stability, predictability and cooperative regional outcomes.
Trump that he will be involved in resolving the conflict in Sudan. This announcement has brought great hope to millions of Sudanese who have borne the brunt of the tragic conflict for more than two years. Mr. Trump has not only shown interest but also put forward strong and decisive peace plans to resolve conflicts around the world. It is important that this same zeal for global peace is extended to the conflicts in Sudan and South Sudan.