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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.

About the Author

Olivier Kamanda

Olivier is founder and editor-in-chief of Foreign Policy Digest. He has conducted extensive research on nuclear power technology, regulatory law and proliferation issues. In addition he has written on the rule of law in post-conflict societies and transitional justice in central Africa. Prior to founding the Foreign Policy Digest, Olivier was Deputy Campaign Manager for Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler. He also served as a Senior Management Analyst in BearingPoint's Homeland Security Sector.He is Truman National Security Fellow and a columnist for the HuffingtonPost's OffTheBus Project. In addition, Olivier has served on a number of boards including the Board of Trustees of Princeton University and the Board of Directors of the Nepalese Children's Education Fund.Olivier received his B.S.E from Princeton University and is currently pursuing a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School where he is an executive editor of the Journal of International Law.