Instability and conflict in the Sudan region: Challenges for peace

For decades the Sudan region has been characterised by instability and civil war between the Arabic-Islam North and the black-Christian South. In 2005 representatives from the North and the South signed a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The purpose of this agreement was to establish a peaceful and unified Sudan by 2011. This ideal did not materialise and in 2011 the South seceded after a referendum, dividing the Sudan into two independent states, namely Sudan (in the north) and South Sudan (in the south).1 Despite the implementation of the CPA, and the 2011 independence of South Sudan, the two nations failed to establish and maintain peaceful relations. This resulted in the continuation of hostilities and the Sudan region is currently displaying all the characteristics of a failed state. The perception is that these hostilities are mainly caused by disputes involving ownership over oil reserves, religion and the absence of nation building. The reality is that the abovementioned causal factors are side effects of antagonistic divisions which can be traced back to pre-colonial times. As a contribution this article acknowledges that the complex and deep rooted nature of divisions makes cooperation, compromise or consensus between Sudan and South Sudan difficult. Against this background the article aims to firstly provide a balanced perspective on the causal factors related to the continued instability and conflict in the Sudan and secondly, an attempt is made to highlight the current challenges facing Sudan and South Sudan that need to be dealt with in order to ensure lasting peace.