Save Darfur... and the rest of Sudan, too
DEVELOPMENTS
Representatives from the Sudanese government met with various rebel groups this weekend in Sirte, Libya, for a new round of peace talks concerning Darfur. The talks were aimed at ending the four year conflict between the government of Sudan and tribal rebel groups. But as the world's attention drew to resolving the Darfur crisis, a former conflict was resurfacing.
The 21-year civil war between the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) in the north and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) in the south caused the deaths of two million people. The war ended in 2005 with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed between the NCP and the SPLM. An integral part of the CPA was the appointment of SPLM leader, Salva Kiir to Vice President of Sudan. But two weeks ago, Vice President Kiir withdrew from the government, protesting the failure of the NCP to meet its obligations under the peace deal. As tension between north and south begins to mount, the international community may have to revisit a conflict thought to have been resolved two years ago.