There were peace agreements and negotiations. There was new found hope that the 22 years of relentless, sometimes indiscriminate bloodshed would end with the approved North-South secession. What do the much publicised and internationally celebrated negotiations of peace and ceasefire between the North and South have to show? Earlier this month, the northern army - the Sudanese Armed Forces launched a 2 week long operation of intensive air strikes in South Kordofan. South Kordofan is north of what will be the separating border from July 9th; it is home to many pro-south and non-Muslim civilians, including the Nuba tribe who have long supported the Sudan People's Liberation Army.
The southern army (SPLA) was targeted 11 times in the course of one morning, during which the UNMIS base evaded destruction by only 150m. 60,000 civilians are fleeing the area; some of whom are travelling to UN confines in a desperate, but futile attempt of refuge. The UNMIS claims that it cannot offer protection to any of the innocent civilians, even though there was much international anticipation of violence and casualties during the determination of Abyei’s ownership. The air strikes are not only a total violation of the 2005 CPA, but also a possible confirmation of Bashir’s ethnic cleansing programs. Vice-President Riak Machar has alerted the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council of the situation in South Kordofan’s Nuba Mountains; warning them that Sudan could eventually mirror the Rwanda genocide. It is certainly in the US’s favour to assist the southern and tribal civilians – especially if Abyei can be claimed by the SPLA and their unsanctioned oil trading availability. The outbreak occurred shortly after Ahmed Haroun was elected governor of South Kordofan; regardless of being wanted by the ICC for crimes against humanity (including ordering militia to rape and torture civilians) and in turn triumphing over an SPLA candidate.
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