Civil Conflicts

Sudan has only witnessed eleven years of peace since its independence in January 1956. The civil war in southern Sudan is the longest uninterrupted civil war in the world. The current phase began in 1983 and takes the form of the government and its allies fighting the Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) and its political wing, the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM). The conflict expanded to include armed forces of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fighting against the current government jointly with the SPLM. More than 2 million people have died as a direct result of the war and the related famine. Sudan has the largest Internal Displaced Person (IDP) population in the world. Of the estimated 4.5 million IDPs’, 1.8 million are presumed to live in Khartoum and 500,000 in eastern Sudan and the transitional zones. Others are displaced within southern Sudan. In certain areas such as Juba in Equatoria the vulnerability of IDPs’ are compounded further by reported cases of abduction and forced servitude. Large sections of the country continue to suffer famine and drought and the majority of southern Sudan's 5 million people have absolutely no access to reliable health care or education.

Nevertheless, there has been optimism with moves towards peace in the south. On 20 July 2002 the Mackakos Protocol was signed by the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A). This was a major breakthrough, following much wrangling over self-determination and separation of religion and the state, paving the way for cessation of the conflict. In September 2003, progress on the peace talks between the GoS and the SPLM/A was boosted, with the signing of the Security Arrangement and the Wealth Sharing agreements respectively. Both parties have declared their commitment to a comprehensive settlement. SOAT believes that placing democracy and respect for human rights at the heart of the peace process is essential to creating an environment conducive to sustainable peace. This has been one of the shortcomings in the current peace process, which has also undermined the role of civil society. The Machakos Protocol signed by the two parties agreed to:

"Establish a democratic system of governance taking account of the cultural, ethnic, racial, religious and linguistic diversity and gender equality of the people of Sudan and to find a comprehensive solution that address the economic and social deterioration of the Sudan and replace war not just with peace, but also with social, political and economic justice which respects the fundamental human and political rights of all Sudanese People.”

On Wednesday, 26 May 2004, the agreements was signed to end the conflict in the south and included a pact on managing disputed areas that will lead to final rounds of talks in July.

These developments have largely been undermined by the emergence of a new conflict in the west of Sudan in Darfur region. Violence that erupted in Sudan's western Darfur region nearly one year ago continues unrestrained today. The region has been the scene of one of the worst humanitarian crisis which has resulted in the displacement of approximately one million Sudanese civilians. More than 200,000 have fled to the remote deserts of eastern Chad and approximately 15,000- 30,000 have reportedly been killed since the eruption of the conflict. Although the precise numbers are difficult to determine, it is estimated that the displacement caused by the Darfur crisis has increased the number of uprooted Sudanese from more than 4.5 million to nearly 5.5 million (USCR, 24 February 2004). The situation has been compounded by the restrictions imposed by the GoS and by the escalation of violence and attacks in the region making it a no go area for relief agencies and restricting the monitoring of the humanitarian situation.

Following much international pressure and demands for humanitarian access, a ceasefire truce was signed on 8 April 2004 in N'Djamena between the GoS and the two main rebel groups, Sudan Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/M) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), which came into effect on 12 April 2004. Under the terms of the deal signed in the Chadian capital, N'Djamena, the parties agreed to cease hostilities within 72 hours, for a renewable period of 45 days. They have also agreed to guarantee safe passage for humanitarian aid to the region; to free prisoners of war and to disarm militia 'Janjaweed' who have been blamed for much of the "ethnic cleansing" and "atrocities" against civilians.

The country and its people face a series of overwhelming challenges, related not only to the peace process and human rights concerns, but also to the deteriorating socio-economic conditions and the emerging conflict in Darfur.