CEPO: Khartoum (NCP) and Juba (SPLM) should Commit themselves for Soft Borders in their meeting
Khartoum and Juba: Commit yourselves for Soft Borders
Community Empowerment for Progress Organization-CEPO is a South Sudan civil society organization registered by the Ministry of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Development in the Republic of South Sudan. CEPO is engaged in the areas of conflict mitigation, peace, human rights, and rule of law, governance, democratic transformation and livelihood. CEPO would like to congratulate both the governments of Khartoum and Juba for the idea of continuing the post-independence negotiations for addressing the outstanding issues between the two states. Kindly, Juba and Khartoum, the post-independence issues are necessary to be settle now as ranging from;
1- Border demarcation
In the forthcoming Juba-Khartoum post-independence meeting consensuses on the border administration and management is essential, because dialoguing over issues as two states without clear borders, the probability of one state intervening with the affairs of another state is high. For instance, fuelling military bandits/militias at the borders become easy including meddling of politics into border communities misunderstanding. CEPO is urges your Excellencies to view the borders from human point of view rather than seeing the borders from wealth point of view. One day the oil will get finished but the human lives at the borders will remain and need to co-exist peaceful.
a) Demilitarization of borders
Based on CEPO borders observation mission covering the Sudan states of White Nile, Blue Nile, Southern Kordofan, southern Darfur and Sinner while the South Sudan states of Upper Nile, Unity, Northern Bahr el Ghazel and Warrap, we are drawing the attention of the summit that both parties have to agree on demilitarization of the borders and none-arming of the border communities to prevent setting bandits or militias group. This is specifically for Khartoum for what is going on now as secret military trainings in Blue Nile, Southern Kordofan and Southern Darfur.
b) Policing of the borders
For Juba and Khartoum, it is indispensable for you all to reach an agreement for allowing police to administer the affairs of the border communities far from your military and political interventions. The agreement reached by both parties for opening border trading corridors will not materialize if the borders remain militarized and politicized.
2- Citizenship rights and residence
CEPO is urging the upcoming Juba-Khartoum post-independence discussions to address the issue of citizenship rights and residence from humanity sense rather than from states running parties’ frictions such as “let us make them as a failed state by aiding rebellion”. The issue of citizenship rights and residence is critical for certain citizens that have built themselves economically and socially stable whether being in Sudan or South Sudan. For instance the intermarriages at the border line before south Sudan’s independence have created population that are divided up partly South Sudanese and Sudanese. Their fate in the Sudan and south Sudan need to be made clear for them. Besides there are other populace that have no connection with intermarriage but they have the interest to stay in South Sudan or Sudan.
3- Oil charges
CEPO would like to inform the Juba-Khartoum meeting table that, the issue of oil charges should not be used to jeopardise the peaceful co-existence of both states bordering communities. Oil deals have international standards available so please turn to negotiate on international oil deals principles and standards to avoid politicizing the oil negotiation processes. Here are some of our key recommendations;
For National Congress Party and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement
I. There is need to build soft border between the two states for peaceful border communities co-existence and trading.
II. There is need to come out with realised modalities to ensure crossing the ten border trading corridors operations
III. Commitment for the recent Abyei agreement in Addis Ababa is essential as a roadmap for reaching peaceful settlement of Abyei dispute
IV. There is need to speed the demilitarization of the borders and increase non-politicized policing services
V. Ensuring peace and stability for the people of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile need not to be begged since the comprehensive peace agreement has set formulae that address both of you( signatories to the CPA have agreed upon)
For AU and the international community
I. There is need to put pressure on the post-independence negotiations for timely settlement of issues now than late
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