Originally published on the CGS blog on January 26, 2011.
Last week saw the conclusion of an historic event for Sudan. The wrap-up of southern Sudan’s week-long independence referendum process-in which nearly 99 percent of South Sudanese citizens voted for independence from the North– is not only a testament to international cooperation, but also a demonstration of the power of a country’s right to self determination and the fulfillment of the promises made in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
Throughout the 7-day voting period, millions of Sudanese traveled great distances and lined up for days in order to cast their vote peacefully and democratically. President Obama said, “The past week has given renewed faith in the prospect of a peaceful, prosperous future for all of the Sudanese people – a future that the American people have longed to see in Sudan.” Both the Sudanese people and the international community have acknowledged this as a legitimate and fair referendum consistent within international standards and expectations. This success was due in no small part to Sudanese leaders on the ground, the international community, and the eyes of the world watching.
Despite this positive news, the work is not over yet. Many problems remain and tensions are still sparking. Now that the ballots have been cast, issues such as border demarcation, citizenship, oil revenue, currency, national debt, Darfur, the Blue Nile, and the fate of Abyei still must be decided. People are being unjustly arrested and held without rights as violence and displacement continue. GlobalSolutions.org would like to add its voice to the Obama Administration, the United Nations, the African Union and the international community in urging the Sudanese government to proceed peacefully.
It is with renewed confidence that we continue to move forward into these challenges and toward a Sudan that is a product of its peoples will. The powers-that-be are already headed back to the negotiating table in an effort to continue this positive trajectory in the weeks and months following the referendum while the ballots are being counted. Issues like the allocation of the Abyei region and the situation in Darfur are at the forefront of discussion to achieve not just answers and cooperation from the north and south, but sustainable solutions that will carry on long after the world has stopped watching. The work is not done, but we should take a moment to pause and recognize the accomplishment that is peaceful and democratic self-determination on the part of the southern Sudanese people.
