Fighting in Sudan continues

12/06/12

Sudan blog:

            Preceding the recognition of South Sudan as being an independent country, president Omar al-Bashir of Sudan announced in the name of Sudan that “We will bless our brothers in the south over their country and we wish them success”. However, a warning was sent from the Sudanese people that foreshadowed the independence. The message was that neither one of the countries should interfere with one nor the others’ affairs and that both countries should stick to their borders, and especially, to keep them secure. Knowing the geopolitical bearings between the two nations and their enduring conflicts, the future between these two countries remains uncertain.

            In the province of South Kordofan in southern Sudan lies a burgeoning conflict between the SPLM (Sudan’s People Liberation Movement) and the federal state of Koradafan leaded by Ahmad Haroun who has already been indicted for crimes against humanity at the ICC for attacks that took place in Darfur. The reasons of the fighting in South Kordafan are several. According to Haroun, the conflict is religious. Arab-Muslim civilians from the Nuba region in South Kordofan have been given weapons to supposedly defend themselves against the growing threat coming from the South. Like Haroun, many of his followers perceive this war as religious, and fight in the name of God to protect their people. However, this is not the case and the growing conflict is a complex mix of greed, retaliation and fear of the bloodshed province. It is not an ethnic combat between black African Nubas against Arabs.

            The Nuba Mountains lie in the most southern tip of Sudan at the border between Sudan and South Sudan. This region is renowned for its abundant reserves of oil. The difficulty of the partition between Sudan and South Sudan lies within the division of the oil fields (98% of Sudan’s Government budget is paid from the direct revenue of its oil fields). Today, 75% of the whole Sudanese region’s oil belongs to South Sudan, and this is the primary factor in the fighting between the two nations. Sudan wants more oil. As the conflict keeps on growing, the rebels will find more reasons to continue fighting, such as the ethnic differences of the Nuba people.

            The South Kordafan province has always been neglected and underdeveloped by the Sudanese Government. This is one of the reasons why the area is so prone to war. The Nuba people are significantly affected by this conflict, Nuba homes are continually shelled and destroyed by both Sudanese and South Sudanese forces. Development projects have also been affected, and forced migrations are common. 28 000 people were forced to flee the town of Talodi due to constant airstrikes from North Sudan against the SPLM’s rebel forces in the region. Meanwhile the people are suffering and hunger starts to set in the region.

            Since partition, Sudan has been hostile to South Sudan, and both countries have allied with the other’s rebels. A recent report by the NGO, Small Arms Survey, suggested that the Sudanese Government still shares close bonds with the rebels from the South, and Sudan has been accused of using rebel armies from South Sudan and the province of Darfur such as the SPLM, SSLA and the JEM. These groups have been seen in Khartoum on a regular basis. Both countries have been exchanging arms, provoking skirmishes by rebels in the other’s territory. The corruption between these two countries does not favor a peaceful relationship for their future. The population of the two countries is suffering and the countries are tearing themselves to shreds. It is hard to imagine that they will ever stop fighting.