by Ethan Cole, Christian Post
An government official says Sudan is in danger of witnessing another civil war between the Muslim north and the Christian and animist south unless the international community intervenes.
The National Congress Party, headed by President Omar al-Bashir, has repeatedly broken the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which ended the country’s bloody two-decade-long civil war, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, head of government of South Sudan Mission to the United States, told International Christian Concern.
As a result of the North’s failure, the delicate peace process is in danger of being derailed, he said.
“The role of the international community is to get in now and help us (the South and North Sudanese) to make sure that we work together to avoid war, to have peaceful disengagement and a fair election [and] put a lot of pressure on the NCP to end the war in Darfur,” Gatkuoth said.
Sudan is scheduled to hold its first national and presidential elections in April 2010. The elections will be the country’s first in 24 years. Then in January 2011, Sudan is slated to hold a referendum on whether South Sudan will secede from Sudan.
Gatkuoth said studies show that 98 per cent of the people in Southern Sudan plan to vote for separation.
The elections and referendum are part of the 2005 Sudanese Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which ended one of Africa’s longest and bloodiest civil wars. The two-decade conflict between ethnic African southerners, who are mostly Christian and animist, and Sudan’s Arab-dominated government left an estimated two million people dead and tens of thousands of others displaced and wounded.
Hundreds of churches in Southern Sudan were also destroyed by Muslim militiamen from the north during the civil war.
In the five years that the CPA has existed, there has always been fear that the peace process would be derailed over disputes about the border between the north and south, the enactment of a national security law, and the April 2010 election, among other issues.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) last week noted that the NCP escalated the tension between the north and south by pushing through the National Assembly – a body the party controls – a Southern Sudan referendum bill with new language that the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement did not agree to. The SPLM is the primarily Christian political party that governs South Sudan.
On December 20, the National Assembly pushed through a revised National Security Act that the SPLM also objected to because it did not include any new measures to hold the security services accountable. Sudan’s security forces are widely known to abuse their power with impunity.
Earlier this month, USCIRF highlighted how government police and security personnel arrested and abused opposition members of Sudan’s National Assembly during their peaceful attempt to present a letter calling for human rights reform and other key legislations necessary to implement the CPA.
A USCIRF delegation was in Khartoum at the time and met with senior SPLM leaders who told delegation members about the arrests and showed them the bruises of an SPLM official who was beaten with batons and kicked repeatedly by security forces.
“The NCP’s latest actions imperil the CPA,” said Leonard Leo, USCIRF chair, in a statement. “An emboldened NCP needs to hear directly from the Secretary [of State] that its violations of human rights and repudiations of agreements it made long ago to implement the CPA will not stand.
“These violations are threatening to derail the CPA which provides the only existing roadmap to peace in Sudan and it is now hanging by a thread,” Leo warned.
The US State Department labels Sudan as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its severe and systematic violation of religious freedom.
ICC, meanwhile, has noted that it is “very concerned” that another “jihad” against Christians and animists in South Sudan will occur soon.
The interdenominational human rights group has called on the international community to put pressure on the government of Omar al-Bashir to implement its obligations under the CPA.
Source: Christian Today
The southren sudan’s people who are mostly chritians must be free from the arabs north. The southren sudan will separate and become free independant nation and after the downfall of TPLF, southren sudan and eritrea will be a part and a parcel of fedral democractic ethiopia, after that a powerfull fedral state of ethiopia will prevail in east africa. Those arabs who have supported TPLF and worked day and night to dismantle ethiopia must pay a price for their criminal activities. In umer Albeshir’s eyes southren sudan will separate and join with ethiopia.
should South Sudan separated, then the international community should be
prepared for another hot spot. More serious than what happened in Somalia few
years ago. Khartoum is happy by the separation, which would give them more
freedom in turning not only the African horn but the middle East into a war
zone.
The whole of EAST AFRICA where Prime Killer Meles Zenawi and his sex-addict advisors rule is on brink of another civil and/or NON-CIVIL war.
This event will give a chance for Ethiopia. This is because we Ethiopian will get a chance to overthrough the EPRDF by waging war by cooperating with southern sudan Gov. because Melase support albeshir and we ethiopian must use this chance systematicaly befor Weyane take its chance to approch south sudan people to cheat the to healp for their development after the referendum.
Once we get a land to lunch an attack on weyane it will take not more than a year because the people of Ethiopia fadeup of EPRDF.
I have a message for Ginbot 7 start to move and be systematic because there is a lot of people who think only for themselves.
God bless Ethiopia
should South Sudan separated, then the international community should be
prepared for another hot spot. More serious than what happened in Somalia few
years ago. Khartoum is happy by the separation, which would give them more
freedom in turning not only the African horn but the middle East into a war
zone.
Why are we Ethiopians in short supply of determined visionary and egofree leadership individuals after almost 20 yrs of TPLF brutal Ethnic Aparthied Rule ??? gobez before we answer this to talk anything else does not hold water once we’re united Strong and Solid we can protect Ethiopia’s unity and save Ethiopia from TPLF Financiers to own all the Fertile and rich lands-right now ETHIOPIA is 4 SALE only to profit TPLF/EFFORT and build School roads and clinics in Tigrai
Fredom for south Sudan.
DEown with northern domination.
Down with arab chouvinism including their
pupet meles (deweyu)zenawi!!!
Ethiopia will prevail!!!
Land for the tiller not for arabs
Egypt go home!!
Please, do not aquire more enemy by blaffing trash ego. Do not generalized arabs as a bandl of goods or sticks as one bandle. Do not forget that at least 50% of Ethiopian Muslim population. Do not brag as a powerfull Christian that do mininating the entire ethiopia as the old ego of ” Ethiopia is The Christia Island”. Please Be mature this kind of nonesons political A B C Dwill create and helpe a huge support for TPLF/ EPDRF led dictatorial regium in Ethiopia. Just to remind you do not forget the support of The Yemeni government army when Somalia invaded us in the 70′s. In fact, if you have a dream to unite Our Eritrean brothes, Somalian, sisters, The ogaden the Oromo people, do not show them religious hatraed, and ego. Because, these attitude will push our vast majority of moslim population mind set and confidence to continue to live in peace and harmoney with their ethiopian christian sister and brothers. Please do not ignite and flaming religiouse and ethnic divission we can not win the struggle to abolish the Melese regium with these kind of arrogancy and narrow reliously motivate out look and ajendda. If you are really jenuine and farsited ethiopian please avoid these pro christian attitude Thanks
Go comment .
Ethiopia has been Christian and Muslim country for centuries. We had no religious problem before TPLF took power. TPLF tried to cause conflict between Christians and Muslims by burning mosque and church. Now Ethiopians tired of TPLF. Pleace do not raise the issue of religion. Ethiopia belongs to all who are Muslims, Christians and atheist. We only can win TPLF if we stand together. During Derg regime we had quite number of Muslims who fought against Woyene hand in hand with Christians. I really do not believe the notion that Ethiopia is the Christian country. I also do not believe 50% of Ethiopians are Muslim. I do know the Ethiopian’s Muslims love Ethiopia just like the rest of Ethiopians. Let us stand together and challenge this horrible ruler. I also know the tigray people had fought against colonial rulers for the independence of Ethiopia. I do believe now even the tigrians brothers came to the realization of the TPLF’s hidden agenda. Let us embrace our tigrian’s brothers. They are not our enemy. The Ethiopian enemy is the one who sell out Ethiopian interest directly and indirectly in order to elongate its existence. Let us all come together for one common goal, i.e. eradicating this regime.
for brx,,,last time i was in ethiopia to visit my familly in dima the border
town of south sudan and i have seen number of tplf defence truck delivering
weapons to splm so for the time being its seems tplf is intermediateing both
south and north as long as it help them to stay in power