Monday, January 08, 2007

CPA: two years down the road

On 9th January 2005, the government of Sudan and the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement sidgned the historic Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in Nairobi, Kenya. The CPA came after years of haggling and discussions leading to the end of 20 years of civil war in the south of the country.

Two years on, there are still problems with the implementation of the agreement. Although some of the provisions of the agrrement were being implemented, the bigger and important points were being ignored.

The Abyei Border Commision is not tackled, oil sharing is still hidden and shroud in secrecy, government still holds back legislations for civil service employment and changes, emergency laws are still in place, government still maintains militias in South Sudan and have not completed the withdrawal of the SAF; the woes continue.

The international community should not turn a blind eye to these massive drawbacks. Darfur should not be allowed to take the concentration on the slow implementation of the CPA in the south. For their part all the funds pledged by the international community should be released to strengthen the government of south Sudan.

The people in the South are at least happy that the guns have fallen silent. The government should not be allowed to abrogate on agreements signed. They have a history, like the Addis Ababa Accord of 1972, abrogated by Nimeri's government. The SPLM should watch out. This should not be allowed to continue.

With elections comming up in 2008, there is great fear that delays in them will affect the 2011 referundum in South Sudan. There should be country-wide population census to support the election and referundum.

For most people in South Sudan, this is the real independence day, when the south gained self-autonomy. Let us not throw away the gains so far . . .

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