Sudan’s North-South border crisis
By Justin Machien Luoi *
March 15, 2007 — On January 09, 2005, Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed by the government of Sudan (GOS) and Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM). The accord gave the right to self-rule to Southern Sudanese during the six years of interim period as well as the right to self-determination in an internationally supervised balloting in 2011. As the CPA undergoes implementation, few provisions have proved difficult to resolve. Amongst these are the determination of Abyei boundary and the North-South border demarcation. The later proves difficult than the former. If not well resolved, the North-South border crisis will cause the Third North – South Civil War regardless of the outcome of the referendum.
Having stated the above, it is good to visit history of North-South conflict and how contentious issues with similar magnitude like that of the current North-South border deadlock culminated into civil unrest and eventually civil wars. To begin with, in 1953 after a debate about whether Sudan become independent or be annex to Egypt, an election was held. The election verdict confirmed sovereignty of Sudan and unification of North and South. This unification marked the disappearance of the 1905 borderline between the North and the South. In 1954 a parliamentary government formed after the elections ruled the country. During this period Northern Sudanese flocked in swarms to occupy administrative jobs in police, hospitals, economics and local, state and National governments. Southern discontent with Northern hegemony in the South ignited the first North-Civil war in 1955 just a year before independence. That conflict was ended by the 1972 Addis Ababa agreement between Numeir’s regime and Anyanyas (Southern opposition). The accord gave self-rule to the South after a referendum which was to happen in 1982.
However, discovery of oil in the South in 1978 led to Khartoum’s plan change. The Numeir’s government embarked on a policy of divide and displacement of Southern population from the oil rich areas. This was done by arming Northern tribes and Southern Militiamen to coerce the Southern Dinkas and Nuers who occupied most of the oil rich fields of the South. This plan was further continued by successive regimes after Numeri’s. In addition Numeiri’s government altered its plan on the South self-rule referendum by introducing Sharia in 1982. The rational behind divide and displacement policy was to blur the 1905 boundary of the two regions so that the north border would include the oil rich territories which they renamed, “Unity.” On the other hand Sharia law introduction was to interfere with South referendum on self-rule. This was not the first time mineral rich territories in the South were annexed by the North. In 1960s Uranium was discovered in Northern Bhar el Gazel but soon the uranium rich area was annexed to Darfur by the North. Annexing mineral rich territories is a northern routine.
In response to Numeir’s hegemonic activities Southern elites and armies rebelled to form the SPLM/A 1983. The Movement’s aim was to undo sharia, fight for representation of all marginalized Sudanese at all levels in the society and to give Southern Sudanese a chance to determine whether to be in a separate south or united Sudan through popular consensus.
Conversely, a split in the Movement in early 1990s culminated to the factions dissatisfied with SPLM to sign Khartoum agreement in 1997 with National Islamic Front (NIF) which overthrew 1986 elected government via coup in 1989. The NIF then used the disunity of Southerners to further divide and displace Dinkas and Nuers so that it could furthermore gain access to oil territories. The NIF founded an Oil protection brigade to further coerce the civilians and to protect the oil companies that were using pipeline to steal oil from the South to the North. Besides, the NIF refused to implement key important provisions of the Khartoum agreement of the 1997. As a result the Southern signatories to the Khartoum agreement left NIF and rejoined the SPLM.
Today even after all these lessons learned by the North from 1955, 1983 and 1997 the NIF still find it difficult to implement the CPA demand that ask for demarcation of the North and South border to the 1905 margin. It appears like Khartoum takes lightly the North-South border issue. This is a grave mistake. Southern tribes can not simply be convinced by the share of oil accorded to them by the CPA or by the fact that there is a Southern semi-autonomous government. Khartoum must and should know that Dinkas and Nuers have a natural claim and cultural relationship to the lands invaded and occupied by the North. If these lands are not returned to the Dinkas and Nuers and if the border is not drawn to the 1905 boundary, no matter what the 2011 referendum verdict will say, Third North-South civil war will be eminent.
The author is a Sudanese residing in the US. He can be reach at [email protected]