AASU On The South Sudan Civil War
Throughout its recent history South Sudan has been involved in one civil war after the other. This way, following the 17 years first Sudanese civil war , the Southern Sudan Autonomous Region was formed in 1972 and lasted until 1983. A second Sudanese civil war soon developed and ended with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005. Later that year, southern Sudan autonomy was restored when it formed an autonomous Government.
South Sudan became an independent state on July 9, 2011, following a referendum that passed with 98.83% of the vote. The people of South Sudan as well as many Africans were full of hope believing that at long last peace will return there and the abundant natural resources notably the arable lands will be judiciously used to uplift the living conditions of its citizenry and African people at large. However since December 2013 South Sudan, the newest African state, is engulfed in a civil war due to power struggle between the leaders. Following the accusation of the President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, against his dismissed vice president Riek Machar of plotting a coup, fighting broke out between forces loyal to them. Machar mobilized a rebel force to unseat the government, and soon the fight took an ethnic dimension.
As a result South Sudan is on the verge of disaster due to several factors including a spate of retaliatory attacks, hate speech and revenge killings. Both camps have been using child soldiers in their ranks. According to reports, more than 9,000 child soldiers have been fighting in the country's civil war since its onset.
The two sides negotiated a truce in January and have resumed talks in Ethiopia, but fighting has continued. They do not appear concerned about the prospect of extreme hardship enduring by their people i.e. hunger, malnutrition, diseases etc., because of their inability to resolve their differences peacefully. They have been accused of committing crime against humanity and gross violation of human rights.
South Sudan current crisis is, yet, another blow to the credibility of African leaders to serve selflessly their people. And the apparent unconcern of Africans particularly their leaders with regard to this south Sudan problem is alarming and frightening. Africans must no longer stay aloof in the search for solution to any African problem; rather they should be at the forefront in any struggle geared towards achieving peace and development in any part of the continent.
AASU calls on the south Sudanese leaders to stop torturing, displacing, starving and killing the people by stopping the hostilities and adopting negotiations as the way to solve whatever differences oppose them. This can be possible; only, if the interests the people instead of their personal ones are at the center of their concerns;
AASU condemns any violent take of power as Riek Machar is attempting to do. We should learn to respect our own established laws, rules and regulations to run smoothly our affairs;
AASU calls on the African Union (AU) to redouble its efforts, in perfect collaboration with the rest of the International community, in finding lasting solution to this crisis and African civil society particularly the youth to get up and stand up beside the south Sudanese people against their selfish and corrupt leaders.
Stop this war!
All for lasting peace in South Sudan!
AWAAH FRED
(Secretary General)
[email protected]/ 00233(0)243101626