The Newsweek online piece (see here) by Jason McClure on the crumbling Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in Sudan properly calls attention to growing tensions between northern and southern Sudan while most outside observers are still focused on Darfur, which is experiencing comparatively less violence.
McClure's provocative article puts most of the blame on the government in Khartoum, but does not give the southern government a pass. There will be plenty of room for shared blame if the CPA collapses.
In all fairness, I think President Obama's Special Envoy for Sudan, Scott Gration, has turned his attention to the north-south issue and is pursuing the right tactic in trying to work with Khartoum in efforts to improve the situation in Darfur and to implement the CPA.
If his initiative does not work, there is always the option to return to the hard line approach which, I would argue, has had very mixed results in the past.
Image: Peter Martell/AFP-Getty Images
Friday, October 9, 2009
Growing tensions between northern and southern Sudan
The Newsweek online piece (see here) by Jason McClure on the crumbling Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in Sudan properly calls attention to growing tensions between northern and southern Sudan while most outside observers are still focused on Darfur, which is experiencing comparatively less violence.
McClure's provocative article puts most of the blame on the government in Khartoum, but does not give the southern government a pass. There will be plenty of room for shared blame if the CPA collapses.
In all fairness, I think President Obama's Special Envoy for Sudan, Scott Gration, has turned his attention to the north-south issue and is pursuing the right tactic in trying to work with Khartoum in efforts to improve the situation in Darfur and to implement the CPA.
If his initiative does not work, there is always the option to return to the hard line approach which, I would argue, has had very mixed results in the past.
Image: Peter Martell/AFP-Getty Images
