As the African Union prepares to reconvene talks between the Sudanese Government and rebel leaders, the stakes for peace and for civilians affected by the conflict are higher than ever. February 2014 was the deadliest month for civilians in South Kordofan due to aerial bombardment since 2011. In Darfur, a brutal surge of state-sponsored violence has led to the displacement of 215,000 individuals in the first three months alone. Efforts to deal with these recent challenges have been fragmented in their responses with key actors being left out of negotiations and the absence of a holistic negotiation strategy leaves the changes for real and substantial peace slim. Both the A.U. Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) and the Commission's Chairperson, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma have "publicly recognized the need for a more holistic strategy to address Sudan's wars." Additionally, in a monumental move, Chairperson Zuma has met with rebels in the Darfur region to discuss their ideas for peace talks.
A new Enough Project report, "Sudan's Tortured Peace Process", discusses the current interconnected nature of the conflict and urges African Union and American diplomats to push for approaches and frameworks that recognize all stakeholders and interests of all parties. A comprehensive approach can transform the political landscape of Sudan and work to bring the peace that the Sudanese people need.
The authors of the report argue that the current nature of peace process in Sudan are too segmented with ineffective frameworks for both Darfur and the conflict in South Kordofan/Blue Nile. Without addressing the conflict holistically, the separate frameworks fail to recognize the interconnected nature of the active conflicts and the current state of the rebel coalition. When one peace agreement fails to promote consistent peace in a ...
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