Small Wars Journal

Sudan Update

Fri, 01/21/2011 - 9:12pm
South Sudanese vote overwhelmingly for secession by Josh Kron and Jeffrey Gettleman of the New York Times. BLUF: "Nearly 99 percent of southern Sudanese voters have chosen to split off from northern Sudan and form their own country, according to preliminary results of an independence referendum..."

Comments

M-A Lagrange

Tue, 02/22/2011 - 6:56am

Well, corruption is not the main issue, just main issue nb 2. The big (But really BIG) nb 1 issue remains again and always the ethnical problematic.
This triggered most of the opposition to SPLA during the war. Now power is shared (?) between Nuer and Dinka but what about all the other ethnical groups?
The good point being that SPLA offensive on Athor has not (yet) started a full scale ethnically based conflict between Nuer and Dinkas. But SPLM cannot remain even a 50/50% Dinka/Nuer political party (Ok it's a 45/45% Dinka/Nuer and 10% the others).
Once this has been solved and admitted by the SPLA and then imposed to SPLM... And finally SPLM took over on SPLA and turns it into a national army and itself into a political party... Then may be there is a chance for civil services (Starting by police and Justice) to exist.

There is a narrow pathway betwen civil war and military ethnic dictatoship. It's narrow but does exist... Let's hope they'l find it.

M-A Lagrange

Tue, 02/22/2011 - 9:49am

Well, corruption is not the main issue, just main issue nb 2. The big (But really BIG) nb 1 issue remains again and always the ethnical problematic.
This triggered most of the opposition to SPLA during the war. Now power is shared (?) between Nuer and Dinka but what about all the other ethnical groups?
The good point being that SPLA offensive on Athor has not (yet) started a full scale ethnically based conflict between Nuer and Dinkas. But SPLM cannot remain even a 50/50% Dinka/Nuer political party (Ok it's a 45/45% Dinka/Nuer and 10% the others).
Once this has been solved and admitted by the SPLA and then imposed to SPLM... And finally SPLM took over on SPLA and turns it into a national army and itself into a political party... Then may be there is a chance for civil services (Starting by police and Justice) to exist.

There is a narrow pathway between civil war and military ethnic dictatorship. It's narrow but does exist... Let's hope theyll find it.

We can do more than wish the Southern Sudanese good luck. Minimizing corruption is key as local leaders have recently stated.

I have worked with Southern Sudanes for 36 years and would be interested to talk with anyone with first hand knowledge of the use of cell phones to pay the Afghan National Police.

http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/journal/docs-temp/527-rice.pdf

This journal is very helpful and is certainly being read by some officers in the SPLA.

EdResor@gMail.com

RH (not verified)

Sat, 01/22/2011 - 3:21pm

Nuba Mountains, Sudan/2002; Juba/2007/08

So little of Southern Sudan has infrastructure or any form of "civil" support services. That said, the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) is starting from 'square one".

With international aid, organizational infrastructure and the real absence of corruption, perhaps...just perhaps, Southern Sudan could be a model for other African countries. But, it could also be a model for tribal or regional separation based on the religious or tribal differences between the incountry population..Nigeria is an example.

Southern Sudan has vast resources..but, no road infrastructure. As some know, Uganda found oil just about 150 miles south of Juba in the Lake Albert region. The Ugandan's already have a road and pipeline grid planning moving their oil to Mombasa, Kenya. The likelihood of the Southern Sudanese using that same infrastructure is very possible.

The key issue is corruption..if the Southern Sudanese fail to curb corruption, then all bets are off.

I can recall in Juba in 2008 there was an issue of the ID card machines which were purchased from a Ethiopian female for over one (1) million dollars.

When I asked a former team member of Garang's security force what would of John Garang done had he been alive...the short response was..."he would of have them shot.."

All the best and good luck to Southern Sudan and its people...

RH