> WATCH "South Sudan: An Enduring Stuggle" [1]
A short documentary by Matt Dillon and RI
Overview
The signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in January 2005 brought an end to the 21-year civil war between north and south Sudan. Over two million refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) have returned to the south, but basic infrastructure and services remain poor. Conflict began escalating again in the south in 2009, causing a rising death toll. In Darfur, the peace process remains stalled, humanitarian access remains restricted, and the peacekeeping presence remains limited.
Current Humanitarian Situation in South Sudan
About 2 million of more than 4 million people displaced by the north-south conflict have returned home. However, the scale of need in south Sudan is immense, and communities will remain vulnerable to a new humanitarian crisis and outbreaks of conflict if gaps in basic services and professional policing go unaddressed. Returning Sudanese, as well as recipient communities, must gain greater access to water, medical assistance, education, and sustainable livelihoods. Local women’s groups must be assisted to enable their participation in the reintegration of returnees.
Current Humanitarian Situation in Darfur
Civilian protection in Darfur remains a serious concern. More than 2.6 million internally displaced people are in Darfur and over 250,000 are living in refugee camps in Chad. Insecurity continues and many displaced people are still not able to return home. The UN peacekeeping mission, UNAMID, lacks adequate resources and troops, and humanitarian workers are unable to access the most vulnerable due to insecurity and to government impediments. Refugees International is particularly concerned about sexual violence against women in Darfur and about the difficulties faced by civil society organizations who try to assist survivors.
Action Needed
- The US must support the full implementation of the CPA and the resumption of a Darfur peace process.
- The Government of Southern Sudan must make community recovery and return assistance a much higher priority while donor governments should provide funding to improve basic services, access to livelihoods, and provide professional policing.
- The international community must ensure that peacekeeping forces are fully deployed and equipped, and focused on civilian protection, particularly for women.
- The international community must insist on humanitarian access to people in need of assistance, and on protection for local human rights defenders.
