Five years after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, South Sudan’s referendum is set to begin as scheduled this Sunday. The highly-anticipated vote, which seemed at risk of being postponed even just weeks prior, will offer South Sudanese a chance to choose between secession or unity and all signs indicate that the choice will be the former. But as the vote rolls forward smoothly, many post-referendum issues remain unresolved and Darfur continues to be plagued by escalating violence and an unsuccessful peace process.
Here are the key developments covered in this issue:
• All steady on the referendum front: Polls for the highly-anticipated independence vote open Sunday in what is largely seen as a positive and stable environment.
• Incremental progress on post-referendum issues, continued deadlock on Abyei: Parties continue to holds their cards close in negotiations on Abyei and big ticket post-referendum issues such as oil-sharing and citizenship. Party leaders promise to resolve all issues before the end of the CPA period.
• Increasing violence threatens civilians in Darfur as the Doha talks once again stall: Clashes in North and South Darfur lead to massive displacement while the government leaves negotiations in Doha with LJM on a final peace deal and ceasefire negotiations with JEM.
Read the full Sudan Peace Watch here.
We’ll release a new Sudan Peace Watch once every two weeks or so and publish them on the Sudan page of our website. We’ll also post a synopsis on Enough Said on the day a new edition comes out.
To advocate for high-level U.S. attention to Sudan at this crucial moment, visit sudanactionnow.org.