Editorial
Greetings to South Sudan
We rejoice in their freedom
REPUBLIC of South Sudan has emerged on the world map as an independent entity, one of the largest in Africa. It is the product of a historic referendum in which its embattled people overwhelmingly chose to free themselves from North Sudan. Fifty long years of civil war claiming two million lives has culminated in a triumphal vindication of the spirit of freedom with all liberation-loving people throughout the world empathizing with great fervour. It has been one of the hardest-earned freedom for a beleaguered, yet determinedly struggling people.
In spite of a comprehensive peace agreement in 2005 signed under intense pressure from United States, Britain and Norway, fighting erupted between northern army and southern-aligned militia in South Kordofan, the north's only oil producing state as late as on June 5. It took an African Union-sponsored agreement to demilitarize and the UN Security Council's intervention to send 4,200 strong Ethiopian peace keeping force to monitor withdrawal of northern troops from Abyei to break the northern resistance.
With the northern president Omar al-Bashir relenting to international, including African pressures and clear-cut referendum results, the crowning glory of southerners was resoundingly scripted. An element of irony can however be discerned in the fact that one wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur may rub shoulders with the distinguished international gathering in Juba for the victory celebrations.
Now, with freedom comes a raft challenges in the shape of fragile borders with stakes claimed by both sides in oil resources. For, the south is not only war ravaged with a poor infrastructure but also it also faces a huge task of building from the scratch. An administration has to be pieced together and crisis management set in motion by a huge infusion of international relief and rehabilitation efforts. Basically, however, peace and security will have to be maintained and border conflicts kept at bay for the new-born country to grow to its full potential.
We wish it god-speed.
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