Sudan's Best Step Toward Referendum on Southern Sudan Status

by Daniel J Gerstle · 2009-12-16 09:00:00 UTC
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Four days of negotiations between Sudan's northern-based National Congress Party and southern-based Sudan People's Liberation Movement have moved slightly forward in terms of the north-south peace. One tiny, but significant step.

Much remains at stake, but for now there's been a hint of progress. Basically, Sudan faces national elections planned for this spring and a referendum not only on whether Southern Sudan should be independent but also which border regions would be under consideration.

Trouble is, the two parties need to reach tangible details on how the three main disputed areas--Abyei, Southern Kordofan, and Blue Nile--will be treated and how how oil revenue and distribution will be controlled.

The most delicate issue is the long-running suspicion that Sudan's National Congress Party led by President "Darfur Indictment" Bashir has been encouraging instability among minority groups competing over land in the south. And if they are proven to have done so, then what's the international community to do that it hasn't already? Regardless, as increased care is taken on the votes and on the border arrangements, humanitarians and donors also need to prepare for any potential vote-related violence and refugee crisis.

[Photo: Umm Bororo Tribe, Sudan, Vit Hassan]

Daniel J Gerstle is a journalist, human rights researcher, and humanitarian aid consultant. He is Editor and Chief Correspondent for HELO: The Crisis Story Magazine.
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