1. Introduction
The comprehensive peace Agreement (CPA) signed between the Government of Sudan (GOS) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) in Naivasha, Kenya on the 9th, January 2005 effectively ended a brutal war that had raged for twenty one years (1983-2004). By the time the Peace Accord was initialed, more then 2.5 million Southern Sudanese perished, four millions more had been displaced from their homes and several hundred people fled into refuge in several countries around the globe.
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement came as a result of the robust support received from the international community, particularly the USA, UK, Norway, Italy and others. The CPA was greeted with unprecedented joy around the globe and since then, tremendous efforts are being made to implement this internationally acclaimed agreement. A lot had already been achieved in terms of institutional building and a lot still has to be done. There are however problem areas as we move down the road toward full implementation.
This paper is an attempt to explain the background to the conflict and throw light on the main features of the Peace protocols. The paper will also highlight problem areas and suggest the way forward.
2. Background
"Armed internal conflict, drought and famine have plagued Sudan- African largest and most culturally complex country- Since Its independent in 1956. A comprehensive Peace Agreement Signed in January 2005 ended Sudan's blooded Civil War, putting its people on a challenging road to create a nation in which all Sudanese can live and prosper together." Sudan the Land and the people, Easys by Timothy Carney and Victoria Butler (See Machakos Protocol)
The political boundaries of the landmass called Sudan were arbitrarily drawn by the Anglo-Egyptian colonialists for their own interests and convenience. The people of South Sudan had never been consulted on whether or not they should be part of the artificial nation called Sudan. Even the much touted Juba Conference of the 1947 was not meant to determine the Unity of Sudan as wrongly reported by some Northern Sudanese historians and the Southerners in that conference did not consent to the Unity of Sudan. James Robertson, the British secretary who engineered the Unity of Sudan on the prodding of Northern Politicians has admitted in his writings that he was the chief Villain behind the crude, infamous Juba Conference episode. As the British colonialists were preparing to quit Sudan, southerners were again offended by being excluded in the preliminary talks in Cairo in 1953 which discussed Sudan self-rule. The 1953 Cairo conference involved Egyptians (co-colonialist with the British) and Northern Politicians. Southerners were purposely excluded. Thus, the seeds of discord and mistrust were laid prior to the granting of political independence to Sudan on January 1st, 1956, which provide the nucleus for the 1955 Torit mutiny. Prior to the READ FULL DOCUMENT
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