Situation in South Sudan Forum: Security Council Student Officer: Carolina Ayala Lusnia, Deputy President Introduction South Sudan gained independence from Sudan on 9 July 2011 as the outcome of a 2005 agreement that ended Africa's longest-running civil war. Made up of the 10 southernmost states of Sudan, South Sudan is one of the most diverse countries in Africa. It is home to over 60 different major ethnic groups, and the majority of its people follow traditional religions. Independence did not bring conflict in South Sudan to an end. The 2013-2015 civil war displaced 2.4 million people and threatened the success of one of the world's newest countries. South Sudan s civil war, which began in December 2013, continued in 2016 with serious abuses against civilians by both government forces and opposition fighters despite a peace agreement signed in August 2015. Government soldiers killed, raped, and tortured civilians as well as destroying and pillaging civilian property during counterinsurgency operations in the southern and western parts of the country, and both sides committed abuses against civilians in and around Juba and other areas. An additional 200,000 people were forced to flee their homes, bringing the total displaced to 2.4 million. Those left behind, including people with disabilities, have faced serious abuses. Background South Sudan gained independence in 2011 Since South Sudan overwhelmingly voted to break away from Sudan in 2011, the government's main concern has been to get oil flowing following disagreements with Khartoum - production only resumed in April. Map of South Sudan There have been a few small armed rebellions, border clashes and deadly cattle feuds - but these have all taken place far from the capital, Juba. Signs of friction within the governing SPLM party came in July when President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka - the country's largest group, sacked his deputy Riek Machar, who is from the second largest community, the Nuer. Under international pressure, the two sides signed a peace deal in May in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. The deal paves the way for a permanent ceasefire followed by the formation of a transitional government, the drafting of a new constitution and, eventually, fresh elections. A previous truce, agreed in January, collapsed in acrimony, with a swift resumption of hostilities. The latest accord is also fragile, but increasingly urgent. Aid agencies have warned that the country faces severe food shortages and potential famine if relief supplies remain blocked and if displaced farmers are prevented from returning home. There are also fears that a
reduction in oil production could have repercussions on world markets. Many foreign nationals have been evacuated. The conflict began in December 2013 when soldiers loyal to President Salva Kiir, a Dinka, and those loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar, a Nuer, fought in the capital following months of growing political tensions. In December 2015, President Kiir dissolved South Sudan s 10 regional states and created 28 new states, fueling conflict in many areas. Although the two sides formed a national unity government in April 2016, following the August 2015 peace agreement, they continued to fight in various locations. In July, clashes in the capital, Juba, caused Machar to flee the country. President Kiir then appointed a former ally of Machar, Gen. Taban Deng Gai, as first vice president, prompting Machar s group to call for a return to war. In November, UN Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide Adama Dieng said the ongoing violence had transformed the conflict into an ethnic war and warned of a potential for genocide. The UN, which has more than 7,500 troops on the ground and has requested reinforcements, has promised it will not abandon civilians. However, experts say its forces will not be able to prevent violence across such a vast territory. In a statement, UNHCR, notes that an average of more than 1,800 South Sudanese refugees a day have fled to Uganda in the past year. The influx has become the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world. More than 85 per cent of South Sudanese refugees in Uganda are women and children under the age of 18. In addition to the million refugees now hosted by Uganda, a million or even more South Sudanese refugees are being hosted by Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Central African Republic. Lack of accountability for grave crimes by both sides since 2013 has fueled the current conflict. Government investigations have rarely led to concrete and lasting accountability measures. A hybrid court envisioned by the peace agreement to investigate and prosecute international crimes committed during the recent conflict has yet to be established by the African Union and the South Sudanese government. UN/International Involvement United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) UNMISS is a peacekeeping mission formed on 9 July 2011 is an active mission with a strong mandate to protect the civilians of South Sudan and fostering long-term economic and social development within the region. Due to the coup d'état attempt resulting in the death of two Indian peacekeepers in 2013, the Security doubled the existing troops in the mission. The relationship between the UN and Kiir administration had led to concerns when the UN denied them access to the locations of civilians being sheltered and President Kiir accusing the United Nations of hosting rebel militias in UNMISS and attempting to overthrow his government. UNMISS currently struggles with attempting to assist those who have been internally displaced within South Sudan as a result of the violence. United Nations The 2013-2015 civil war displaced 2.4 million people
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is the UN s official response to the escalating violence and destabilization within the region. Originally created in 2011 to help South Sudan with the transition to independence, UNMISS has now shifted focus to protecting government buildings, officials, and soft targets such as schools, hospitals, and shopping centers. Canisius College Model United Nations 39th Annual Conference UNMISS, like many UN operations, is limited by bureaucracy and international laws, and cannot always operate to the full extent of protecting the innocent. Aside from the deployment of peacekeeping missions (UNMISS), the United Nations Security Council has adopted many resolutions tackling this issue. Below are a few of the notable ones with solutions attempting to solve the South Sudan Crisis: S/RES/1996 (2011) welcoming the establishment of the Republic of South Sudan S/RES/2057 (2012) demanding the cease on all forms of violence and human rights violation in South Sudan S/RES/2109 (2013) discussing the civilians and armed conflict in South Sudan S/RES/2252 (2015) expressing concern over the findings on sexual violence in the conflict of ongoing rampant sexual violence in South Sudan. S/RES/2304 (2016) setting an arms embargo on the government of South Sudan and the SPLA-IO P5 Stance United States of America The United States supported the independence referendum in 2011 and official recognized South Sudan as a sovereign state on 9 July 2011. In 2012, President Obama provided military assistance and ammunition to South Sudan. There are currently five American officers acting as advisors to the South Sudan military. On 22 August, the United States announced an additional 138 million USD towards the humanitarian fund for South Sudan totaling a contribution of more than 1.7 billion USD since the beginning of the Crisis. The humanitarian funding is allocated for food security, sanitation, and hygiene service for those in South Sudan left in desperate need. People s Republic of China The People s Republic of China has been significantly important to the economic development of South Sudan. In 2011, there were 5 Chinese official development finance projects in South Sudan. Some of them included constructing a hospital in Bentiu with a grant of 200 million CNY for agriculture, education, health, and water supply projects in South Sudan. It should be noted that the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) is a major investor in South Sudan s oil sector and their economy is very heavily dependent on oil production. Russian Federation Russia has voted in support of the UN Security Council resolution 2046 regarding the conflict between Sudan and South Sudan. The Russian Permanent representative to the UN Vitaly Churkin said: Russia supports the resolution of Africa s issues based on the views of its countries and regional organizations Tensions between Sudan and South Sudan escalated into a large-scale military confrontation after the latter seized Heglig. The adopted UN SC resolution welcomes the withdrawal of South Sudanese forces from Heglig. It is necessary to assess the damage incurred during the seizure of Heglig by South Sudanese forces and determine fair compensation. It is also essential to stop the destabilizing actions of the Sudan Revolutionary Front to overthrow the government in Khartoum. Regarding further steps to resolve the situation, the Russian diplomat said: Imposing sanctions to resolve the Sudanese crisis is a last resort measure to influence the parties. The
African Union and its High-Level Implementation Panel are the leading tools to assist in settling Sudan- South Sudan relations. We call on Sudan and South Sudan to resume talks and resolve all disputed matters amicably. French Republic France recognized South Sudan on 9 July 2011. It has had representation to the autonomous government of South Sudan since 2006, when it opened an embassy office in Juba. France regularly provides bilateral contributions to the UN emergency humanitarian plans for South Sudan and South-Sudanese refugees. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Britain has had relations with Sudan's Islamist government since it took power in a military coup in 1989. Following the outbreak of War in Darfur in 2003, in June 2004, British international development secretary, Hilary Benn, ruled out international military intervention for Darfur. However, by the next month, it was reported that British Prime Minister Tony Blair was asking officials to draw up plans for possible military intervention in Sudan. In supporting the United Nations Security Council resolution in 2007 to authorize the deployment of up to 26,000 peacekeepers to try to stop the violence in Darfur, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in a speech before the General Assembly of the United Nations, urged strong support for peacekeeping in Darfur, calling the war "the greatest humanitarian disaster the world faces today". He also called for an end to aerial bombing of civilians, and for greater effort to support peace talks and reconstruction Britain is the second largest single country donor to Sudan contributing 175m of aid since 2003. In 2004, the British government committed 2 planes to help with the aid effort in Darfur. In 2004, Britain confirmed that its aid package had been nearly doubled to 34.5 million, compared to European Union commitment of 7.8 million. In 2006, the British government committed USD 76 million to aid efforts in Darfur to help the world's largest aid operation. Places of High Concern Sudan The North African nation of forty million was once home to several great African nations including the Kingdoms of Kush, Kerma, and the Meroe. Sudan is home to many different religions, many Islam, Christianity, and several variations of tribalists. Sudan is also home to various ethnic groups, and is often considered to be one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world. In present day, Sudan, also called North Sudan is dominated by Muslims who are classified as Arabs. The capital is at Khartoum and is an oil rich nation. However, Sudan has languished through several civil wars and internal crises mainly due to conflicts from the various religions and ethnic groups. In 2011, Sudan and South Sudan split into two countries. South Sudan The world s newest country, South Sudan is currently embroiled in a vicious civil war that threatens the stability of the new nation. South Sudan is populated mostly by traditional Black Africans who practice mostly Christianity and tribalism. South Sudan has escaped the genocide in the Darfur region, only to be involved in ethnic fighting within their new nation. The war started when President Kiir believed his Vice President, VP Machar to be involved in a plot to overthrow him. When Machar was ousted, some 10,000 soldiers defected with him, and the civil war began.
Uganda A neighbor of South Sudan, Uganda is dealing with the refugee crisis caused by the conflict. Hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese citizens have fled the country to escape the violence and many are ending up in Uganda. The African Union has claimed that this is the worst refugee crisis since the Rwandan genocide of the 1990s. The Ugandan government is worried that the fighting will spill over to their borders, which would force a response from the Ugandan military. African Union (AU) The African Union, an intergovernmental organization composed of African nations, has has responded to this crisis. The AU has sent financial and humanitarian aid to the government of South Sudan to help feed the starving masses. However, there are allegations that the government is using the money to purchase additional weapons and supplies for the army, undermining the intentions of the AU. Possible Solutions When addressing the humanitarian crisis in the South Sudan, delegates must consider the issues of transparency and the bureaucratic impediments such as insecurity, poor infrastructure, and road conditions in the region. The question remains in how these obstacles can be tackled whether it being setting up investigation committees monitoring the process and ensuring accountability or requesting the assistance of UNMISS personnel to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid. The urgency of supplying clean water supply to the remaining population must also not be overlooked. Carefully choosing relevant Non-Governmental Organizations to collaborate with when providing drinking water is vital to the process. When bearing the health, sanitation, and hygiene crisis in South Sudan short-term and long-term solutions must be considered. Temporary deployment of doctors through doctors without borders and building temporary medical camps and hospitals will prove to be effective but to address the health issue completely, proper hospitals need to be built in place for permanent use and doctors and medical personnel must be trained and educated within the region. A temporary ceasefire has proven to be ineffective for the past decades, so when creating solutions regarding ceasefires and negotiations, delegates must consider the underlying issues of deep-rooted ethnic and cultural conflicts and how they could be put aside. The emplacements of ceasefires must be thought through thoroughly. Whether it involve unbiased third parties, mediating negotiation, placing arms embargoes on all parties breaching peace agreements. Delegates could also choose to expand the current peacekeeping mission in South Sudan by increasing allocated personnel to ensure its effectiveness and efficiency. When the current generation is going down, a vicious spiral always looks to the next. It is imperative to create a sustainable and solid framework for the education in South Sudan. Delegates must realize that the only solution to possibly solving the South Sudan Crisis is through educating the next generation. Setting up schools and ensuring teachers is the first step. Creating the framework for education in South Sudan is the next. Delegates must seek education framework that educates the whole child to become globalminded citizens instead of following the footsteps of the deep-rooted ethnic hatred of their ancestors and adopting their narrow mindset. When a generation with virtues such as openmindedness and multilateralism at heart finally emerges from South Sudan, the South Sudan Crisis would finally be considered solved. Timeline:
1956- Sudan gains independence 1962-1972- The first civil war 1978- Oil is discovered in South Sudan 1983- The second civil war begins 1988- A cease-fire agreement is drafted but not implemented 2003- The Darfur genocide begins 2005- The CPA ends the second civil war October 2005- The Autonomous government is formed in South Sudan December 2009- North and South reach a deal on a referendum for Southern independence by 2011 9 July 2011- South Sudan celebrates its first day of independence July 2013- President Kiir fires VP Machar over claims of an attempted coup December 2013- Civil war erupts as 10,000 soldiers defect with former VP Machar August 2014- Peace talks in Ethiopian capital April 2016- Machar returns to Juba and is reinstated as the VP of a new unity government, however he is fired in July and goes back into exile February 2017- Famine is declared in South Sudan Source: BBC timeline Key Terms Sudan s People s Liberation Movement (SPLM) Originally a rebel force forced on 16 May 1983 in the South; it was a key protagonist of the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005) against the government of Sudan under Gaafar Nimeiry, Sadiq al-mahdi, and Omar Hasan Ahmad al-bashir in order to establish a democratic Sudan. The SPLM emerged as the ruling party of South Sudan after it became a sovereign state in 2011 with its Chairman Salva Kiir Mayardit as President of South Sudan. The SPLM was a major belligerent in the South Sudanese Civil War (2013-2015) in opposition to the SPLM-inopposition (SPLM-IO). It should also be noted that the Sudan People s Liberation Army (SPLA) is the army under the SPLM and can be referred to interchangeably. Sudan s People s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition Established in 2013 by Riek Machar (first Vice President of South Sudan) in opposition to the Sudan People s Liberation Movement (SPLM). It is mainly Nuer and was a main belligerent against the SPLM government in the South Sudanese Civil War alongside the South Sudan National Army and the Nuer White Army. Dinka An ethnic group located in the Bahr el Ghazal region of the Nile basin in South Sudan. There are approximately 11 people in South Sudan who are Dinka, which constitutes as 35.8% of their entire population. They are currently the largest ethnic tribe in South Sudan. Their agricultural heritage and conflicts over cattle have been speculated to be the reason for the separation of Dinka and Nuer. The Sudan s People s Liberation Movement (SPLM) comprises of mostly Dinka ethnic based members with the first President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, of Dinka ethnicity. Nuer Related ethnic group of South Sudan locating the Nile Valley; they account for 15.6% of the South Sudan population. Another explanation of the split between the Dinka and Nuer was speculated as a result of the intrusion of Ottomans when various ethnic groups accommodated colonizers and others refused. Considering Dinka supported the colonizers whilst the Nuer
resisted them, hostility developed between them as a direct result of their relationship with the British. The Nuer people of central and eastern Nile formed the Nuer White Army in the South Sudanese Civil War allied with the SPLM-IO and fought against the SPLM from (2013-2015). Ethnic Cleansing The systematic forceful removal of a certain ethnic group by another. It is a crime against humanity under the statutes of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and has been described by the UN Commission of Experts as constitute crimes against humanity and can be assimilated to specific war crimes. Furthermore... such acts could also fall within the meaning of the Genocide Convention. Both the Dinka and Nuer have been seen to practice ethnic cleansing in South Sudan. United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) The United Nation Mission in South Sudan is a United Nation peacekeeping mission in the Republic of South Sudan since its independence on 9 July 2011. As of 2015, it consists of 12,523 total personnel, 11,350 military, and 1,173 police personnel. Its headquarter is located in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. It has a clear mandate on supporting the consolidation of peace and developing South Sudan.
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