Sunday January 9th Southern Sudan opened the polls to vote in a historic referendum that will decide whether the south will chose independence and form their own nation. This vote is yet another step in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the 21 year civil war that has claimed over 2 million lives and displaced millions of other Sudanese.
While the news out of Sudan has been positive so far, we must not lose sight of the undertones of concern and dangers still present in this week long process. We agree with the position of President Obama that "a successful vote will be cause for celebration and an inspiring step forward in Africa's long journey toward democracy and justice."
To date we have seen unprecedented pressure from the international community in an effort to prevent the outbreak of mass violence or deterioration back into civil strife. The United States has been involved in the advancement of this referendum vote for a while now, offering a 'carrot and sticks' policy approach that includes both warnings and incentives for both sides in order to temper tensions in the region. Moreover, the ICC has played a very important role in prevention by keeping a constant spotlight on President Al-Bashir and the north insisting on the fulfillment of justice and accountability for the crimes against the Sudanese people throughout this conflict.
The international community must keep the pressure and attention on Sudan in the coming weeks and continue to dedicate their efforts to the prevention of mass violence and the incredible new chapter that this vote could usher in for a people who have endured decades of violence and displacement.
There are still challenges to face in Darfur as well as the fate of an Abyei referendum that was temporarily put aside in an attempt to allow this referendum in the south to be completed on time. As always, Sudan and the world must also keep their eyes on neighboring countries like Somalia and the LRA in Uganda as there have already been reports of boarder violence in Abyei between Arab nomads and Southern Sudanese resulting in at least 23 fatalities. (There have been some unconfirmed reports over the weekend of violence in Abyei). Therefore we must continue to work toward tramping out the flashpoints of hostility in the region and assist the Sudanese people in being allowed to peacefully determine their own futures.