Washington, DC -- Refugees International welcomes the Obama administration's initiative to hold an international conference this week galvanizing support for Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Sudanese who have returned from exile to southern Sudan told Refugees International earlier this year that the greatest protection the U.S. could provide for them would be to "keep its eyes on Sudan." To prevent a return to war and promote peace throughout all of Sudan, including Darfur, the U.S. and the international community must ensure that the CPA is fully implemented.
"Support for the Comprehensive Peace Agreement has been exceedingly slow and inconsistent and we hope this conference will be a first step towards jumpstarting its implementation," said RI Advocate Melanie Teff. "We simply cannot afford to ignore the CPA. If this agreement fails, there is a risk that all of Sudan will go to war again. Every possible step must be taken to prevent a return to the horrors of the past."
Refugees International is deeply concerned about recent outbreaks of violence in southern Sudan. As the UN Special Representative to Sudan, Ashraf Qazi, has stated, "In recent months, the death rate in southern Sudan from violent conflict has been higher than in Darfur." The U.S. and its allies must support the Government of Southern Sudan as it attempts to professionalize its police force, to ensure safety for Sudanese citizens and to look for ways to resolve the conflicts among the tribes that are now actively fighting one another. Funding is also urgently needed to build basic social services, create jobs and expand agricultural opportunities for the people of southern Sudan.
"Two million people have returned to south Sudan since the war ended, but they go home to nothing," added Teff. "The lack of basic services -- clean water, health care and education -- and the lack of work opportunities in southern Sudan has led to competition over resources and heightened tensions between groups."
The north-south war left 2 million people dead and 4 million people displaced. The CPA was signed in 2005 between the Government of Sudan and the Government of Southern Sudan, bringing peace after 22 years of war. However, major delays in implementing the terms of the agreement include demarcating borders for the three transitional areas and disagreements over wealth-sharing of oil and other natural resources.
