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Feature South Sudan


South Sudan overwhelmingly and peacefully voted for independ- ence last month in a referendum that resulted in 99% of its people voting for secession. Come 9 July, they will be celebrating formal independence. However, as Regina Jane Jere discovers, amid the jubilation and high optimism, many key issues with the North remain unresolved. Will Africa’s newest country overcome the challenges?


What lies ahead for Africa’s newest nation?


I


t was their moment in history, as they enthusiastically yet patient- ly stood in meandering queues to cast their vote to become citizens of Africa’s newest country – South


Sudan. A month on, since those momen- tous scenes in January, the talk of “whither South Sudan?” is taking centre stage. Will the jubilation end in tears or will the peo- ple’s hopes spring eternal? While the world’s attention has recent-


ly shifted to events unfolding in North Africa, over-shadowing the South Sudan story, the transition, in what was hitherto Africa’s largest country, provides a truly new chapter in Africa’s post-independence history – the peaceful dismantling of a colonial border – and the world needs to be watching. Key world leaders were quick to ap-


plaud the people of Sudan. US President Barack Obama described the event as “successful and inspiring”, while the UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon called for support “to assist all Sudanese to- wards greater stability and development.” But many observers believe the result and the peaceful running of the refer- endum will only hold water if the ruling parties in the now divided country – the north’s National Congress Party (NCP) and the south’s Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) - are able to peacefully resolve the plethora of challenging issues


32 | March 2011 New African


still at the centre of their “divorce”. “Like in any long-term relationship


which comes to an end, a lasting and ami- cable break-up depends on how well the stakes are negotiated, and in most cases, time is of the essence; the longer you take, the messier the situation normally gets,” one Western diplomat told New African. Some of the key encumbering issues


that need to be negotiated between now and Independence Day in July, according to the humanitarian news and analysis service IRIN, include: Abyei: Te contested border region was due to hold a separate referendum at the same time as the South, when its resi- dents would have decided whether to be- come part of the North or the South. But progress on that vote remains in deadlock, with the largely Northern-supported Mis- seriya community – who travel through the region annually to graze their cattle – demanding a right to vote. Te largely Southern-supported Din-


ka Ngok people reject that demand, and Southerners say only permanent residents should be allowed to vote. Te area’s future is expected to be part


of the huge negotiations ahead, with the South demanding it be ceded directly to join the new nation. Oil and water: A new deal must be agreed to renegotiate the current equal sharing of oil pumped in the South. Te economies


on both sides depend hugely on oil – it forms 98% of the Southern government’s budget. Oil reserves lie mainly in the South but pipelines run North. For once, observers hope oil can be a factor for peace, as for either to benefit, the future two states will be forced to cooperate post-secession. In addition, negotiations will have to be agreed on the future sharing of the waters of the Nile River, an issue that neighbour- ing Egypt will be watching keenly, reluc- tant to see its share of the river cut. Debt: Sudan’s crippling debt, estimated at $38bn, remains a major concern. It is an emotional issue: the Southerners say Khartoum spent the cash on arms during the 1983-2005 civil war. Te North wants to obtain international debt forgiveness to allow fresh loans, but that would still take many years. Persuading the South to take on some of that will be hard, but the North hopes that the South could then expect to have it written off more easily.


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