Genre: Editorial 

Published in The Ethiopian Herald on 10 May 2014

Peace, stability for the youngest African nation: A call of the day! 

The youngest nation in Africa has failed to maintain peace and stability even for two  years after getting its independence. South Sudan, which saw the longest war in the history of Africa, is still engrossed int a huge humanitarian crisis resulting from intolerance within the party itself that devoted to liberate the nation back in the days.

It is almost a year since South Sudanese peace and stability razed and fears and persecutions of human right enthroned in the entire nation. According to report of Oxfam for instance, Over 800,000 people have fled their homes, more than 76,000 people have sought refuge at various UN compounds across the country and 254,600 people have fled to neighboring countries while myriads of people lost their lives. The backdrop has even turned into worse as the war between the two factions evolved towards taking ethnic shape. Many pronounced the killing of South Sudanese that were under the security blanket of United Nations in Bor and  Benitu a genocide. This indiscriminate killing of innocent people looks like to leaving its protracted scars on the future of South Sudan. 

All these suffering principally source from less cultivation of  culture of dialogue to defuse differences and bring situations back to normal for the common good of  the nation. And even differences are natural, could occur at any place and time. It could not have derailed their determination to  prosper their nation. But, now the cracks are widening and widening. Due to that, the youngest nation's fertile lands are ravaging with bullets. Thus, its hardworking people have nothing other than bending their knees for humanitarian aids. But, are these things concealed from the understanding of the leaders? And why do they repeatedly fail to see their people's suffering?

From the outset of this conflict, the international community in various multilateral fora has done enough to bring the warring factions to terms. Ethiopia also through IGAD played a role with a view to stabilize its newest neighbour. The rival factions also signed agreement for the cessation of hostilities and to neutralize the issues that enervate the inter-party peace in a political dialogue. Albeit, the agreements did not get materialized.

The East African region which has seen catastrophic suffering of all kinds, to name just few, famine, civil and cross-border wars, terrorism, and even state failure,  is now revitalizing itself into a stabilized region. But the misfortune leaps from South Sudan, unless the two warring parties reconsider their stand and come to cooperation, for sure this nation would be a weak link of the region at least for two reasons. Firstly, the humanitarian crisis, aside from putting millions of its people into grave chaos, the situation would end up being another burden to the international community even more than it is now. The resulting state failure would also be a launching pad for  the opportunistic and infamous terrorist organization's destructive agendas. Thus, the problem, despite occurring in an African nation, would obviously infect many other countries, secondly. That is why, leaders of the parties in war need to sit and negotiate first for the good of their own people from which they hail and second for the good of the region and beyond.

Now IGAD is so devoted with the continued efforts from the international community and Ethiopia, opportunities are being created for the leaders to discuss and negotiate face-to-face [after this article get published the two parties made agreement on key issues] under same roof. This is  good news for the people of  South Sudanese and to all peace loving people across the world. But, it would be  complete when coupled with concrete results of ending the war. No doubt, trying to fetch solution from a barrel of a gun is not the dictate of the modern world. However, putting a win-win solution in a round table  for the resolve of the people they want to see prosper would be best. And they need to admit that  millions must not die, starve, destabilize and raped because of them.

What makes this negotiation too critical is also that as Mark Simmonds—Minister for Africa at Foreign and Commonwealth office— in his article titled, A tale of two visits published in The Ethiopian Herald on Thursday May 9, 2014 puts it: “If people are unable to plant crops over the next couple of months, we could be looking at a famine of grotesque proportions.”  Right! The leaders of both sides have historic responsibility not to leave their people into another desperation resulting from missing to use the coming crop season. Everything in that country needs to come to normal. For that to be real, the leaders genuine dialogue play unrivaled roles. May their discussion bear fruits!