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Sudan

Field Reports  In-Depth Reports  Letters & Testimonies

Overview
With the breakaway of South Sudan on July 9, 2011, Sudan faces economic difficulties due to loss of oil revenue and turmoil in its “new south” – the states of Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan. Fighting broke out in Southern Kordofan in June 2011 following state elections, the results of which were disputed by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N). In retaliation, Khartoum began an indiscriminate bombing campaign and sent ground forces to crush the SPLM-N. Over 20,000 Sudanese fled to South Sudan, but hundreds of thousands remain trapped in conflict areas with dwindling food supplies and no access to humanitarian assistance. Fighting broke out in neighboring Blue Nile State in September; since then the conflict has caused internal displacement and created massive refugee outflows to Ethiopia and South Sudan.

Sudanese troops also remain in Abyei (which is claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan), awaiting the full deployment of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei and the re-establishment of a civilian administration there.  

In Darfur, another peace agreement has been signed in Doha, Qatar. However, because the agreement was only signed with one of the many rebel groups in the region, fighting is expected to continue. Meanwhile Khartoum has decided that an internal Darfur political process will replace peace talks, but RI questions if and how the nearly three million Darfuri internally-displaced people (IDPs) and refugees would be included in such a process.

The fate of Southern Sudanese living in Khartoum and other parts of Sudan remains uncertain. While many have opted to move to South Sudan, others’ rights to remain in Sudan are under threat.


Current Humanitarian Situation in Darfur
Civilian protection in Darfur remains a serious concern. More than 2.6 million IDPs are in Darfur and over 250,000 Darfuris are living in refugee camps in Chad. Insecurity continues and many displaced people are still unable to return home, despite increasing pressure for people to do so. The United Nations has been working with a variety of humanitarian groups to promote development while strengthening the rule of law, which the UN believes is the key to a lasting peace. However, the joint AU/UN peacekeeping mission, UNAMID, lacks adequate resources and humanitarian workers are unable to access the most vulnerable people due to insecurity and government impediments. Refugees International is particularly concerned about sexual violence against women in Darfur and the difficulties faced by civil society organizations who try to assist survivors.

Field Reports
  • South Sudan Nationality: Commitment Now Avoids Conflict Later
    05/25/2012
    As the newest nation in the world, the Republic of South Sudan (RoSS) is undertaking the monumental task of building a nation state. Creating a functioning government would be an epic challenge for any country, but it is even greater for RoSS because it is faced with millions of displaced people, internal and external conflict, widespread food insecurity, a stagnant economy, and a population that includes dozens of tribes, ethnicities, indigenous communities and identities. The situation is further complicated by the internal conflict that re-ignited in South Sudan following the decades-long civil war. During the war, southerners were pitted against a common enemy in Khartoum. Now, absent that enemy, competing tribal and ethnic interests are fueling internal conflict, such as in Jonglei state. To ensure the successful transition of RoSS to a functioning nation, an identity must emerge that trumps all these competing interests. Citizenship should be based on place of birth or familial origin without any regard to the person’s color, faith, tribe, ethnicity, or other attribute.
  • South Sudan: Displacement Plagues World's Newest Nation
    12/14/2011
    The Republic of South Sudan (RoSS) is going through a major displacement crisis. The country is playing host to tens of thousands of refugees who fled fighting in Sudan’s Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States. In addition to this, hundreds of thousands of people are displaced due to violence within South Sudan itself. The country also has to contend with a large influx of southerners returning from northern cities. This crisis could soon become overwhelming for the world’s newest country – a country already struggling to deliver security and basic services to its citizens. If this displacement crisis is not adequately addressed, all the positive efforts now being made to incorporate returnees into the social, political, and economic fabric of South Sudan will be short lived.
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In Depth Reports
  • Renewing the Pledge: Re-Engaging the Guarantors to the Sudanese Comprehensive Peace Agreement
    07/14/2010
    The clock is ticking fast towards what might be the most important date in modern Sudanese history – two referenda in Sudan that are likely to result in the breakup of Africa’s largest state. With six months remaining until 9 January 2011, the scheduled date of the referenda, the run-up to, and outcome of, the vote must be managed with extreme care. The Guarantors to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), who invested considerable effort in obtaining the CPA on 9 January 2005, have both a responsibility and an ability to help Sudan implement the CPA and prevent further conflict. It is imperative that the Guarantors urgently redouble their efforts to ensure adequate preparations for the referenda, and help secure agreements on sensitive issues such as border demarcation and oil sharing.
  • Last Line of Defense: How Peacekeepers Can Better Protect Civilians
    02/24/2010

    When violent conflict breaks out, the United States and other United Nations member states often call for the deployment of UN peacekeeping forces to create stability and protect people from harm. The UN Security Council has explicitly instructed peacekeepers to protect civilians under “imminent threat of violence” in most UN peacekeeping mandates since 1999. But there is no clarity as to what “protection” means in practice. Which circumstances require action and what level of force should be used? This has resulted in a lack of proper training, guidance and resources for peacekeepers to accomplish protection activities.
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Advocacy Letters
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Congressional Testimony
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Successes
In May 2012, RI raised the alarm after the governor of Sudan’s White Nile State said that thousands of southerners stranded in the border town of Kosti had just days to leave the country. As a result, the International Organization for Migration began an airlift of 12,000 southerners from Kosti to Juba, South Sudan.