Editorial: Sudan crisis Tuesday, 31 January 2012 06:08

The world’s newest nation is in crisis. South Sudan, which came into existence less than a year ago, is grappling with a slew of issues which, though don’t threaten its existence, can find its future fatally crippled. South Sudan seceded from Kharotum in July under a 2005 peace agreement which put to an end decades of civil war that had claimed thousands of lives, but both sides are yet to disentagngle a number of issues which is crucial for both sides to move forward, especially for South Sudan.

The biggest dispute between the two is about sharing the oi revenues. The South is home to all the oil which undivided Sudan was once exporting, but the pipelines to export the oil run through the North. Khartoum has demanded transit fees for its share of the work, which it says is yet to be decided and paid, while the South claims Khartoum is pilfering oil and in retaliation recently shut down all oil production. The decision has hurt both sides badly, though it hurts Juba more as more than 90 percent of its income comes from oil. As a North Sudanese official said, stopping the oil supplies will hurt Khartoum badly, but it ‘will kill’ the South.

Oil is connected to other disputes and therefore can’t be addressed separately. Cross-border violence (as the border is loosely marked) and territorial disputes have further complicated the situation. Omar Hassan  Al Bashir’s government claims that rebels loyal to the Sudan People’s Liberation army (SPLA) in the south but based in the northern states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile are being helped by Juba. Juba has denied any role, but the tribal and political rivalry running deep among rebel groups makes this denial suspect. And North Sudanese forces have entered the South in pursuit of rebels and many rebels have been killed in these operations. In short, both sides haven’t yet renounced the conflict and are continuing the rivalry through other means.

The fact is that the secession has cost both sides heavily. The North finds its economy in deep straits after losing the oil income. The West, especially the US, has to take part of the blame for its current plight. The US, which pressed Khartoum to honour the 2005 comprehensive peace agreement and allow the south the secede, has since then failed to honour its own promises to the North, like lifting the economic sanctions and providing debt relief.

The North and South need to solve their differences on their own. Both the countries are so inextricably linked that the stability of one is impossible without the cooperation of the other. The African Union and friendly countries must push them to choose peace.