While the carnage continues unabated in Syria, there is a sense of hope that some semblance of peace can return to the war-ravaged Sudan, the largest country in Africa, which was split in two last year after decades of civil war.
This is the case as the news that a partial agreement was reached after four days of marathon negotiations between the former civil war foes, President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan and his Southern counterpart Salva Kiir, in Ethiopia’s capital last week.
In July, South Sudan celebrated its first anniversary of independence amidst dire warnings over stability and economic viability. It spent the last year wracked by border disputes with Sudan as well as internal violence and the shutdown of its vital oil production.
The major issues were the share of oil revenues from the disputed top oil producing region of Abeyi, citizenship and the demarcation of borders.
Last Thursday, there was a partial agreement after months of pressure from the United Nations (UN) Security Council. The landmark deal paves the way for a negotiated settlement of some sticky territorial and trade disputes.
Though few details were released, according to reports, both sides agreed on a demilitarized border buffer zone – where troops must withdraw ten kilometres from the de facto line of control along the undemarcated frontier.
The good point was that economic agreements were also reportedly reached that built on an oil deal last month to ensure that South Sudan’s stalled production would restart after a stoppage that threatened to destroy the economies of both countries.
However, the parties did not reach an agreement on the issues of the oil producing region of Abeyi or the border issue. The countries have agreed on another round of talks to try to resolve these outstanding issues but no dates were given.
It is important that these issues be resolved quickly as they have the potential to be flashpoints for further aggression. So much so that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon warned that much more needed to be done so that South Sudan can “proudly walk as a nation”.
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also warned that the conflict, the unresolved issues with Sudan and internal violence threatened to compromise the very foundation on which the agreement stood.
Amid international pressure on both sides to reach a deal – after missing a UN Security Council deadline to settle by last Saturday – their teams spent days trying to narrow positions as mediators shuttled between them.
The protracted talks under African Union mediation began in the Ethiopian capital several months before South Sudan split in July 2011 from Sudan following an independence vote after decades of war.
It is a good sign that they have agreed to deals on trade, oil and security – bringing them back from the brink of disaster.
A civil war between the two uneasy neighbours may have been averted.
