South Sudan: At What Point Does Conflict Become a War?
7 min read
Assassinations. Pitched battles. Cross-border bombing raids. Hundreds of thousands of refugees. At what point will the rising conflict between Sudan and South Sudan be recognized as a new war?
South Sudan achieved independence from the north in July after a half century of grinding conflict in which more than 2 million people died. Separation has not led to peace, however, most importantly because neither side is happy with their new border. One point of conflict is a band of southern states in the new north Sudan — Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile — which remain on the upper side of the divide despite being home to armies of rebel secessionists. Many of these fought for independence alongside the south and continue to do so today, with enduring southern support.
A second reason for continuing conflict is claims by the northern regime in Khartoum over much of the territory now designated as South Sudan – not least those parts that are rich in oil – which seems to be behind repeated northern bombing raids into the south.
The latest indication this situation of mutual, interlocking and spiraling enmity might once again escalate to a fully-fledged war came Thursday when South Sudan reported that northern Sudanese bombers had once again bombed the south, killing 17 cattle herders in the southern state of West Bahr al-Ghazal, just south of the westernmost stretch of the new border. “This [attack in West Bahr al-Ghazal] is a hostile aggression that Khartoum has been conducting against the civilian population,” South Sudan’s military spokesman Col. Philip Aguer told the BBC. He added northern bombers had also struck areas in Unity state, another southern border province to the east where in November northern bombers hit a refugee camp.
Khartoum has denied carrying out any raids and claims it is the south that is guilty of aggression. Southern troops are massing in Unity state in preparation for an attack on the north, says the north’s military spokesman. Sudan’s foreign ministry spokesman, Al-Obeid Meruh, adds 350 members of the Darfur-based rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement (J.E.M.) — whose leader Khalil Ibrahim was killed in fighting with northern forces a few days ago — crossed into South Sudan on Wednesday. Al-Obeid called on the international community to pressure the south “to stop supporting these troops and disarm them.”
The situation in South Sudan is further complicated by more fighting between the new government, which is dominated by the Dinka ethnic group and has already garnered an impressive reputation for ineptness and corruption, and a number of breakaway militias from different ethnic groups. (The leader of the most prominent of these, George Athor, was assassinated on Dec. 21). To a country that, as well as being the newest, is one of the poorest on earth, all this fighting has bequeathed the additional burden of a refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands displaced and hundreds more arriving from the north every day. Meanwhile the U.N. is warning poor rains means 2.7 million southern Sudanese — out of a total population of 8 million — will need food aid to avoid malnutrition and famine in 2012. Maybe war isn’t the right word to describe what’s happening in South Sudan after all. How about catastrophe?
South Sudan cattle clashes: UN moves troops to Pibor
Cattle are a central part of the lives of many communities in South SudanThe United Nations is sending troop reinforcements to the South Sudanese town of Pibor to prevent an attack by members of the Lou Nuer ethnic group.
Tens of thousands of people from the rival Murle group fled the town on Friday morning, fearing violence.
Inter-ethnic clashes in Jonglei state, initially triggered by cattle raids, have cost the lives of about 1,000 people in recent months.
The UN already has a battalion of troops in Pibor.
Most victims of the clashes have been women and children. Both communities have abducted children during the violence.
“What can I do – we can’t work miracles” Kuol Manyang Juuk, Jonglei governor
Correspondents say these attacks are one of the biggest challenges to the stability of South Sudan, the world’s newest country. It only became an independent nation in July.
It is one of the world’s poorest regions, inhabited by about 200 ethnic groups, each with its own language and traditional beliefs.
About 6,000 armed men from the Lou Nuer community are marching through Jonglei state burning homes and seizing cattle along the way, says BBC East Africa correspondent Will Ross.
Earlier this week the entire town of Lukangol was burnt to the ground by Lou Nuer fighters. About 20,000 civilians managed to flee the town before the attack, but dozens were killed on both sides.
‘Poorly equipped’
The United Nations humanitarian co-ordinator in South Sudan, Lise Grande, told the BBC that the UN was reinforcing its troops in Pibor to assist the South Sudanese army in defending civilians.
“We are very concerned by the scale of this,” she said.
“The UN is facing enormous logistical challenges – we still have no military aircraft, only civilian helicopters,” she added.
Jonglei governor Kuol Manyang Juuk told the BBC that the UN would not be able to contain the violence because the Lou Nuer were moving around in the bush, rather than staying in towns.
He also said South Sudan’s army was badly equipped and most of its soldiers had been deployed to the border with Sudan following recent unrest there.
“We can’t work miracles,” he said.
South Sudan Vice-President Riek Machar has been shuttling between the rival communities in a push for peace. On Thursday night it seemed he had persuaded the Lou Nuer not to attack Pibor – but they then left in their thousands overnight heading towards that town.
Cattle plays a central role in the life of many South Sudanese communities. In the absence of banks, they are used to store wealth and to pay bride prices.
The violence between the two communities has been going on for years, but with modern weapons its scale is increasing.
Our correspondent says the clashes may have begun as cattle raids, but they have spiralled out of control into retaliatory attacks.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16364244
| South Sudan: At What Point Does Conflict Become a War?TIME (blog) By Alex Perry | @PerryAlexJ | December 30, 2011 | + People wait outside a medical clinic on December 5, 2011, at the Doro refugee camp, near the town of Bunj, about 40 kilometres (26 miles) from the border in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state, … |
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