Peace or No Peace By Al-Hadi Margan

10:31 PM October, 13 2019

Sudanese Online
Al-Hadi M. Margan-NC, USA
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On October 14th, the city of Juba will hold a peace conference between the government of Sudan and the armed movements of Sudan. For the SPLM North, the peace agreement is an opportunity to implement justice for those who have suffered a great deal during the past thirty years; it also gives them the chance to discuss the development of marginalized areas that were affected by the war. The SPLM North (the Hilu faction) has determined that peace comes at a price, and that justice is a part of peace; this is especially true because at this current time, there are people who still have not been brought to the ICC for violating various human rights in Sudan.

If peace is not accomplished after this conference, the other option on the table will be related to the theory of self-determination, specifically in terms of the Southern Kordofan and the Blue Nile regions. Self-determination is defined by the United Nations as the people’s right to determine their own destinies; in other words, this is the idea that people should be able to decide their own political status, as well as their own ways of economic, cultural and social development. Peace does not mean giving one’s position to their opponents; instead, it means that the policies governing Sudan should be fair and just for every person in Sudan.

There are many different topics that must be discussed during the peace conference, the most pressing one being the issue of refugees in Sudan and outside of Sudan; refugees must be given a chance to pursue happiness in life through the sectors of education, health care, and the building of infrastructure (e.g. housing, schools, and health centers). Money is needed in order to achieve peace and this means that the government of Sudan must seek resources to fulfill this peace agreement; the Sudanese government can accomplish this task in a short period of time by creating committees that will guarantee a genuine commitment from the beginning to the end of the peace agreement.

The SPLM North (the Hilu faction) has an obligation to stop the fighting that has taken place in Sudan, as well as tend to the needs of their communities by building social networks and providing rehabilitation for those who have fought in the past couple of decades; they must also give them opportunities that have typically been afforded to civilians, which includes jobs in different sectors such as agriculture, grazing, and construction.

Peace is hard and crucial, but it can be achieved if all of the people in Sudan are determined to live in harmony without hostility towards any entity, as well as share wealth and opportunities.