Sudan's new year of fear

May peace be unto Sudan.

Such pain and suffering will never stop. It hurts to know that it's innocent children that have to endure such unfair hardships because of disagreements and or bruised egos of a few money hungry individuals. where is the fairness in any of this? there is of course none.

First they don't want western peackeepers, now they do want them, I think this article was written by a patronizing do-gooder who likes to run around africa in his 4x4 and explain his deep knowledge of the way things are done. It's Sudan, there is not a hell of a lot to do, they don't have the energy to run around frothing at the mouth hacking people up with machettes on a daily basis. I don't believe a word of it, but I am sure this dude can now rely on more donations so that he can fuel his private jet.

What does Sudan and the Sudanese offer the world - me thinks zippo!

Despite the many weaknesses of the CPA which have plagued its enforcement for five years, it remains the only viable accord between the North and South. To a large extent it also meets the legitimate concerns of both peoples- even the North recognises that democracy is inevitable for the country.
As John Garang remarked after the signing, both peoples ought to live in unity and peace, but only if the North made unity possible by cooperating in the effort to uplift the life of Southern Sudanese through economic and political development of the region and its autonomous political institutions.
That never happened and now it looks like secession is the only option Southerners have. With internal divisions, insecurity and lack of institutional capacities, there will obviously be challenges for the new state. However, the international community should help Southern Sudanese achieve statehood under whatever conditions.

Agreed John, essentially it is a sudanese problem to be solved by their own people, no need for outside peacekeepers or mediators. I still maintain that the death figures mentioned probably cannot be verified, and as such should not be printed as fact.

This article is just neo-colonial clap-trap. Is it not?

I'm in disagreement with the idea that this should be left to the people of Sudan to solve on their own. I think the world should be able to rally around a people whose rights and lives are endangered, such as the people of South Sudan, a life lost is too many...and Africa is not yet free until the Arican people in Sudan are free

Although I think that Sudan's problems are self-created and as such they should sort themselves out, I don't think they will be able to do this without outside assistance. Either in the form of mediators or additional aide.

And does it really matter whether the "death figures mentioned probably cannot be verified" as poking nose suggests? Many innocent people died and suffered greatly - that is all that is important.

The gulf between the arab muslim north and black christian south is just too wide for any meaningful solution to this timeless squabble to be found. Factor in oil,china/vs America/West,tribalism,ideological differences and the very geographical vastness of this country and we definitely have a powder keg.