SUDAN

[Guest]

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[waywardcats]

The PBS Newshour broadcast a report tonight entitled.

Droughts Feed Hunger Crisis and Violence in Sudan

Please note that some of the images may be disturbing.

-Kerry-

[charity]

A vote on whether South Sudan will secede from North Sudan will be taking place Jan 9-15.  People are getting more optimistic that peace will continue if the South does secede, which seems the likely result. However there are still tensions over transparency of oil wealth - south sudan has 3/4th the oil, but north sudan has the export facilities and records, and question over one region in the middle which has not decided if it would join the north or south if the south secedes. 
Also, there is a huge surge right now of refugees and migrants from South Sudan trying to leave North Sudan before the referendum.  People in South Sudan continue to have a hard time getting enough food, water, shelter, and medical care. 

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2011/0106/Sudan-referendum-101

[charity]

The articles I had seen/heard talking about southerners trying to leave north sudan, didn't seem to explain why there was such an imperative.  This article seems to tie up the missing info:

While northern Sudan is already largely governed by Islamic law, or Shariah, an interim constitution adopted as part of a 2005 peace agreement recognized the country’s ethnic and religious diversity. That agreement ended generations of civil war between the predominantly Arab and Muslim north and the mainly Christian and animist south.

The interim constitution expires next year, and with it the constraints and obligations of the peace agreement.

“If South Sudan secedes, we will change the Constitution, and at that time there will be no time to speak of diversity of culture and ethnicity,” Mr. Bashir said.

(Mr.Bahsir here is the President of Sudan, Omar Hassan al-Bashir)

That just doesn't sound good.

Ihttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/20/world/africa/20sudan.html?_r=2&src=twrhp

[P, B and J]

I'm wondering aloud if a new thread should be started for the new country of South Sudan (I'll leave it up to all those of you who are here more often than me to decide, I'm not sure what's best)?

Yes, as some of you already know, on July 9th, 2011 the independent country of South Sudan will be born!  It has me worried about possible violence, I really hope there is none at all, but given what has already happened recently, and history...  Anyway, I just popped in here to post some BBC articles on the subject.

Be well and to all,
~Jackie~

South Sudan: How do you set up a nation?
By Kathryn Westcott BBC News
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14014083  [You can also hear a version of the new national anthem in this article ]

Sudan: One country or two?
27 May 2011 Last updated at 11:07 ET
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12115013  [Maps (I'm someone who loves 'em, what can I say ).  These ones show the dichotomies and contrasts between the north and south from many standpoints.  Not that I want to be divisive, but for illustrative purposes, it is quite something! ]

[Natasha]

I'm wondering aloud if a new thread should be started for the new country of South Sudan (I'll leave it up to all those of you who are here more often than me to decide, I'm not sure what's best)?

Yes, as some of you already know, on July 9th, 2011 the independent country of South Sudan will be born!  It has me worried about possible violence, I really hope there is none at all, but given what has already happened recently, and history...  Anyway, I just popped in here to post some BBC articles on the subject.

Be well and to all,
~Jackie~

Hello Jackie,

A bit overdue, but thankyou for the suggestion. The topic of South Sudan now has been set up in Kiva Countries.

Cheers,
Natasha

[charity]

Well, I don't know whether to post this here or in the South Sudan thread, as it really involves both.

I read a few articles today talking about the ongoing fighting occurring between South Sudan and Sudan, who can't agree over oil proceeds, and one of which (Sudan) is still being run by President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who is wanted for crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.  There is a continuing flow of refugees trying to flee, including thousands of unaccompanied children.     Aid groups including the United Nations and Doctors Without Borders are trying to relocate one of the refugee camps with about 35,000 people, because people are dying at alarming rates due to dysentery, malaria etc, due to the swampy conditions of the camp and the fact that the camps water supply and toilets were compromised due to flooding.  They are trying to encourage another refugee camp of about 60,000 to move further away, because its location is close to the fighting and the camp itself has been bombed, but the refugees are reluctant to move further because the soil further is of worse quality.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/world/africa/from-sudan-a-new-wave-of-lost-boys.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/07/world/africa/refugee-children-dying-at-alarming-rate-in-south-sudan-aid-groups-say.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/world/africa/12hague.html