Earlier in May, the South Sudanese government resumed its negotiations with the rebels. That very week, the Sudan Tribune reported that numerous civilians,who had sought shelter at a United Nations base in Bor were killed by an unknown mob. Also, trainee soldiers were shot in Mapel, and several other civilians were killed in Bentiu, allegedly by the rebels.
The international media, on the other hand, either refused to cover the crisis in South Sudan or simply chose to highlight the fact that both sides are now negotiating with each other. Sadly, the negotiations seem to be headed nowhere, and chances of peace in South Sudan do not look good.
Difficult Times
The ongoing violence is ripping apart South Sudan’s cohesive nationhood. Human rights violations, especially against civilians, have become the norm. Take the case of Bor and Bentiu: non-combatants were actively targeted, based on ethnic lines. Of course, the commanders of both the army and the rebels insist that their troops acted only in self-defence, but the truth is evident.
As such, collateral damage keeps piling up. ReliefWeb International counts over a million people as internally displaced refugees, whereas Oxfam has noted acute food shortage for almost 70% of the South Sudanese populace.
Quite obviously, things keep getting from bad to worse in South Sudan.
Failed Negotiations
The negotiation summit in Addis Ababa seems to be headed nowhere. President Salva Kiir’s governance is under the scanner, and rebel leader Riek Machar too does not have a promising resume.
There have been two vague suggestions as well. First, an interim government should be formed with the help of a coalition led by both Machar and Kiir. Second, both the parties should be eliminated, and a separate body should be set up to lead South Sudan.
Both of the above suggestions have been discarded. The first one (coalition government) is unacceptable to both the parties, and the second one (political alternative) smells of nothing but political opportunism.
Considering the fact that neither party is willing to blink first, the negotiation talks are surely not reaching their destination anytime soon. Both the USA and United Nations seem to have accepted the failed outcome of the negotiations, and are now contemplating the imposition of sanctions. As a matter of fact, on his recent visit to Ethiopia, US Secretary of State John Kerry talked a good deal about potential sanctions on both the government and rebels of South Sudan.
Conclusion
A regional peacekeeping force is expected to be sent into South Sudan. However, this route too is not without its share of problems. One constituent member of the peacekeeping force, Uganda, openly takes sides and backs the Salva Kiir government. More importantly, regional peacekeepers are almost always accused of furthering their own political and economic motives. A better option would be to retain the existing UN peacekeeping mission, but the South Sudanese government is not on good terms with the United Nations.
All said and done, the situation keeps getting from bad to worse in South Sudan. Since the negotiations have failed in maintaining ceasefire in the country, and civilians’ lives are at stake, international sanctions and military intervention seem to be the only way out. Either option is not without pitfalls, and the future does not seem good for South Sudanese people.
South Sudan was created by forcibly partitioning Sudan. Today, the very existence of this new country is in jeopardy. Luckily, Sudan is still doing pretty well for itself and has managed to keep its house intact. South Sudan, on the other hand, has been unable to justify the balkanization of what was once Africa’s largest nation.
Bottom-line: South Sudan has ‘Failed State’ written all over it.
no body writes about SRI LANKA genocide of tamils under president rajapaksha and his militaries continues high handedness on ordinatry people on north and east of the country. Send a reporter and find out the hidden truth behind the genocide and analyse present conditions of once prosperous tamils condition now.
It is so obvious that there is a clamp down on media and intelligence regarding South Sudan. This is not a tribal conflict although it has been made to appear so. This is the continuance of Saudi Arabia and Sudan’s genocide jihad on the southern Sudanese, the indigenous peoples of Africa. It is muslim money that is funding the “rebels”. Just like in CAR Africa, for over 2 years, the Seleka muslim alliance were waging their unabating unholy war on the innocent people of CAR. But we never ever heard the word muslim mentioned. There is evidence that the Seleka leader invaded with the intention of installing an Islamic state in co-operation with Saudi Arabia.
https://www.worldwatchmonitor.org/2013/05/2492414/
Then in December 2013 the Christians formed a militia and started fighting back. Suddenly it was the muslims who were being attacked by the Christians. No mention of the fact that Christians only form 45% of CAR, no at that time they were 80%, and this was nothing but ethnic cleansing, poor muslims. The South Sudanese are still being targeted by al-bashir the same wanted criminal for waging genocide on the Nubians, black muslims, and others in Sudan for over 20 years already. The muslims don’t stop, ever. Their quest is global dominion. The reason why they are being allowed to do this is because the masons and the Marxists are running our governments and institutions like the UN. they are deliberately obfuscating and protecting and funding the muslim aims. By now is so blaringly obvious that the Muslims are a major threat to global peace that it can only be a deliberate policy to advance islam and their unholy pagan death cult.