The Role Of Regional Organization In The Sudanese Civil War

The Sudanese has witnessed many incidences of violent conflicts in the last few decades as compared to any other part of the world.This conflict is the longest and worst conflict in African history after Angola with millions of casualties.It had great impact both within the Sudan and the region at large.It is estimated that 1.3 million of people died,though there has not been a reliable official figure.The actual figure notwithstanding,separate reports of the various clashes leave no doubt that the conflict was catastrophic in terms of human life.Apart from the dead,the war was responsible of displacement of many people both internally and into neighboring states.This conflict ended with the signing of Comprehensive Peace Accord in 2005 brokered by the IGAD-led peace process.The Accord was substantially implemented when the referendum was held in January 2011 in which Southerners voted to secede.This paper explored the uniqueness' s of the IGAD-led peace process by presenting a comparative analysis with respect to predecessor initiatives.It also explored the role of the international community in mediating for peace.It identified success factors such as follow through initiatives,a more specialized approach,proximity of the mediating party,the contribution of neighboring countries especially Kenya and the coordinated input of the IGAD Partners Forum.Conflict and instability trends in the Sudanese make the region one of the most unstable regions in the world.Many parts of the Sudan remain unable to break free of armed conflicts,violent crime,communal violence,extremism,political instability and state failures that have plagued the region for decades.However,few regional states have the capacity to effectively administer their remote,expansive border areas.As a result,much transborder conflict management and prevention falls on the shoulders of local communities in partnership with central governments and interstate regional organizations.The resilience and adaptability of this collection of local and regional actors are critical factors in determining whether,and to what extent,cross-border conflict and instability issues are successfully managed.The study focused on the following major areas: The overview of conflict in Sudan;An analysis of the Eastern Africa V organization role in the Sudan conflict and intergovernmental authority on development(IGAD)the causes of conflict and the role of regional organization Sudanese civil war from the conflict in the Sudan.The study aimed at assessing the role of regional organization in the Sudanese civil war with a special focus on Sudan.The study used the realism theory to explain conflicts and international relations.To undertake the study,the researcher utilized library and internet research.In this case,published and unpublished data was used to put issues into context and to justify the research study.All these materials were explored to help understand the prevailing situation in other parts of the world.The findings of the study revealed that resolution and management of conflicts in the Sudan has posed a major challenge to regional organizations,states,regional and the international community.the East Africa regional organization Intergovernmental Authority on Development(IGAD)mediation efforts in Sudan and South Sudan and to contextualize them within the broader context of regionalization in post-Cold War Africa.The conflicts in the Northern Region of Sudan are no exception.These conflicts are mainly concentrated in the boarders of North-South involving pastoralists.In recent time‘s conflicts between host and refugee communities and within the community itself over the management of natural resources has span over time.There have been numerous attempts made by the government of Sudan to resolve these conflicts.Policies papers and documents have been written and revised,conventions and intervention have been held,but the major problem lies on the implementation of the various resolutions.The international community have made significant progress in promoting peace in the region.Further the findings of the study revealed that recognition of conflict resolution and management in the Sudan conflict is lacking and the states in the region have not come out with detail policy document which can effectively tackle conflict in the region,beginning from the root causes of the various conflicts,how it evolved,and parties ‘concerned,attempted measures to resolve these conflicts.The international community is not more concerned with how to punish the perpetrators of these conflicts.The study recommended that Regional bodies and institutions in the Sudan conflict should play a significant role as platforms for interstate collaboration on security issues and conflict management.Protracted conflicts,regional insurgencies,and cross border criminality stress border and national-level response systems,and regional organizations should be considered very essential for monitoring,prevention,and cross border response mechanisms.This research work concludes by claiming that after twenty-one continuous years of war,prospects for future peace in Sudan may finally be looking up.The agreements signed recently bode well for a peaceful future.The root causes of the civil war,including religious repression,unequal distribution of wealth and power,and ethnic discrimination,which have been addressed in recent agreements,must continue to be at the forefront of Sudanese politics if peace is to continue in the country.The findings of the study revealed even though it presume that resolution and management of conflicts in the Sudan has posed a major challenge to regional organizations,but the East Africa Regional organization role is an exception one.The research found out that,Comprehensive Peace Agreement Sudan that was established in 2005 was an example of successful peace building,Julian Warczinski(2008)provides a comprehensive account of the CPA.The CPA occurred as a result of diplomatic efforts led by the East African Regional Organization(EARO)together with its sub-regional partner Intergovernmental Authority on Development(IGAD).A robust support from the international community,particularly the USA,UK,Norway,Italy and others(Warczinski,2008).The signing of the CPA between the GGOS and the SPLM/A in Naivasha,Kenya on the 9 January 2005 effectively ended the second civil war The CPA ended the war and tried to balance the NCP's insistence on retaining Islamic law in the North,with the SPLM/A's demand for a “New Sudan”(De Waal,2007).