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Sudan: More Violence at Zalingei at a Political Crossroad
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Dec 4, 2010 - 9:58:57 AM

December 3, 2010

For Immediate Release

Contact: Adeeb Yousif

Darfur Reconciliation and Development Organization (DRDO)

+1(415) 716-2910

Email: [email protected]

http://www.drdoafrica.org

Sudan: More Violence at Zalingei at a Political Crossroad

Secession of South Sudan Might End With Dividing the Country into 6 Parts

On December 1st, Abdel Alla Mohammein Yousif, a student in Zalingei University, Mohamed Wardi and El-degal were killed in a peaceful demonstration against the current mediation process. Dr. Hussein, Dean of Student Affairs at the University, Um Kaltum, Huda Abdel Allah, Aziza Musa and Hana Musa were injure. Several people were also arrested from the IDP and relocated to prison camps where the use of torture has been reported.

The country of Sudan was formed less than 100 years ago when imperial Britain annexed Darfur to the rest of Sudan in 1917. Sudan won independence in 1956, but the country has never been at peace. Sudan has been embroiled in various civil wars with itself for 44 years of its 54 years of independence. It is clear that South Sudan will split from the rest of Sudan and some anticipate as many as 6 new countries emerging from modern-day Sudan.

Sudan has tested every form of government, a multiparty state, a one party state, socialism, capitalism, military coups; none of these various regimes have succeeded nor been accountable to the people.  All have used the medium of racism and racial discrimination to divide the population in order to maintain themselves in power.

Khartoum has tried to impose an Arab-Islamic identity on a multiracial, multiethnic, and multi-religious Sudananese population. The majority of the Sudanese people have resisted this and the government has responded with violence and the severe curtailment of individual rights and freedoms.

Either a true federal system will be put in place by the international community or the country will split into at least six new independent countries � Darfur, Kurdofan, Nuba Mountain, Blue Nile, East Sudan, and North Sudan. The splitting of Sudan will not necessarily bring about sustainable peace � lessons from the split of Eritrea from Ethiopia offer a recent example.

Can we hope that a day will come when the minority realizes its folly? Will it be possible for them to say �let us live in this country with the power in the hands of the majority, with respect for minorities, democracy, respect for human rights, and peaceful co-existence in a multiracial, multiethnic and multi-religious society�.

Peace and development require charting a new course.

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