The BBC is reporting that there have been additional clashes in Abeyi, Sudan's oil-rich town, leading to fears that we could seek another civil war break out between the north and south of the troubled country.
A Sudanese official from the South, P.Amum, secretary general of the former rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), told the BBC:
“We are on the brink of war. We are not actually having options here; war… is not a good option. It is a possibility. There are clashes that have already happened and forces are building up.”
Reports suggest that up to 90,000 people have been displaced by the fighting and that Abyei is now controlled by soldiers from the north.
With this being the case I think that the international community must look to resolve the Darfur and North/South Sudanese situation together…and quickly. Here is an important framework from our friends at the ENOUGH Project and Save Darfur:
1. Appoint a single, empowered mediator: One strong lead mediator must replace the dual AU and UN special envoys because a diffusion of responsibility leads to a diffusion of effectiveness. The single mediator must have substantial negotiation experience in Africa‚ preferably in Sudan‚ and must be supported by a full-time team.
2. Support the mediator with coordinated international leverage
A "Quartet" of countries with the most external leverage‚ China, France, the UK, and the US‚ must work together to support the peace process, and should consult closely with regional states such as Egypt, Libya, Chad, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa.
The Quartet countries must dedicate full time staff in the region. In the case of the United States, Special Envoy Richard Wiliamson should have two full-time deputies working the Darfur and CPA issues as well as a field-based team with personnel in Khartoum, Chad and Juba. The UN Security Council‚ driven by the Quartet‚ must impose consequences in the form of targeted sanctions on key individuals, a comprehensive arms embargo, and additional support to the International Criminal Court (ICC). "The time has come, finally, to get it right in Sudan. The long-suffering Sudanese people deserve as much."
3. Address the Darfur conflict in its local and national contexts
The peace process must address both the local and national issues that underlie the conflict, ensuring that resolution of the conflict in Darfur complements full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the conflict in southern Sudan and that provides a blueprint for the democratic transformation of the entire country. The peace process must be broadened to include traditional leaders and community leaders in camps for internally displaced personnel and refugees, Darfurian civil society groups, women's organizations, political parties, and diaspora organizations such as the Darfur Leaders Network. This will create a sense of ownership among Darfurians.
