“You’ll be able to eat what you want and do what you want,” exclaimed Daniel Bior Garang, one of the millions who cast his vote for South Sudan’s independence. Feelings of jubilation and excitement abounded as scores of Sudanese citizens lined up to cast their vote for the secession of South Sudan on Sunday, January 9, 2011. Although final results will not be released until February, the week-long referendum could result in South Sudan becoming the world’s newest nation. According to recent reports, voter turnout exceeded 90 per cent in some areas. Observers from around the world, including the EU, the Carter Center (founded by former US president Jimmy Carter) and the Satellite Sentinel Project (a partnership between Google, Harvard University, the UN, and the Enough Project, an anti-genocide organization) have all praised the legitimacy and relative peacefulness of the referendum. However, the vote marks the beginning of a lengthy process to secure a new governing body in the south and it remains to be seen whether the region will be able to finally reap the benefits of their abundant natural resources to develop an economically thriving society.
As one of the world’s poorest countries, Sudan has long struggled to establish good governance and deliver basic social services. Following its independence in 1956 from joint Egyptian-British rule, the fragile nation was ravaged by decades of civil war rooted in deep economic, ethnic, and religious conflict. The war finally culminated in 2005 with the historic signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, in which Canada and the U.S. played key diplomatic roles. Darfur is arguably the most troubled region in Sudan. The area, in western Sudan, caught the world’s attention when a rebel group attacked the capital of Khartoum in 2004. Sudan’s president, Omar al-Bashir reacted to this attack by sending out government militias to defeat the black African ethnic groups who protested neglect on the part of al-Bashir’s Islamic central government. Reports of brutal raids, mass killings, and widespread use of rape as a weapon of war began to surface. Although al-Bashir claimed the militias (known as “Janjaweed” or “devil on horseback”) were not government-sponsored, this prompted UN intervention and an outpouring of humanitarian assistance. According to the UN Secretary General, the number of internally displaced persons rose to over 2.2 million in 2007, and the death toll now sits at no less than 400,000. In 2009, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for al-Bashir, indicting him on five counts of crimes against humanity and two counts of war crimes. Despite this, he won re-election the following year, when Sudan held its first multi-party election in 20 years. Massive development — schools, infrastructure, and hospitals — spurred by oil revenues may explain al- Bashir’s popularity with northern voters. Along with the establishment of a ceasefire between the rebel group Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement and the Sudanese government, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement would ultimately set South Sudan’s referendum in motion.
Concerned citizens in Canada have responded to the call to action by supporting social justice organizations, such as STAND Canada, a student-led, anti-genocide advocacy group. Our members have worked to raise awareness about the genocide in Darfur, but our mandate has recently expanded to encompass the greater socio-political circumstances of Sudan. As an advocacy organization, STAND engages directly with politicians, in an effort to bring this conflict to Canada’s foreign policy agenda. A number of policy proposals have been communicated to members of parliament, senators, and bureaucrats. One such proposal includes creating a Sub-Committee for the Prevention of Genocide and Other Crimes against Humanity, under the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.
Going forward, there are a number of issues yet to be resolved. Abyei, an area rich in oil fields, will be having a separate election in the months ahead to decide whether it joins North or South Sudan. According to the New York Times, this contested region, which straddles the North-South border, has recently seen a spike in violence, with officials reporting that more than 40 people have been killed. Many also fear that violence may rise as both sides negotiate control over the country’s vast oil reserves. BBC News states that South Sudan produces more than 80 per cent of the country’s oil, but only receives 50 per cent of the revenue.
While U.S. President Barack Obama has appointed a senior diplomat to deal with Sudan’s North-South issues, Canada has yet to outline a strategy for on-the-ground presence following the referendum. A recent recommendation by the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development recommended that Canada send a high-level delegation to the area. STAND strongly urges Prime Minister Stephen Harper to implement this recommendation as soon as possible. Although the overall security of Sudan during the referendum is currently at the forefront in major news outlets worldwide, STAND considers the peace and security of the Darfur region to be an ongoing concern.
Aviva German and Shauna C. Keddy are Co-Presidents of STAND U of T.
