DATE=3/15/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-42861
TITLE=SUDAN'S ENDLESS WAR
BYLINE=CAROL PINEAU
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: CIVIL WAR IN SUDAN HAS RAGED FOR MORE THAN 15 YEARS. THE
ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT IN THE CAPITAL, KHARTOUM, IS IN FIRM CONTROL
OF THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTRY. IT IS FIGHTING TO IMPOSE
THE MUSLIM FAITH AND ISLAMIC LAW ON THE PREDOMINANTLY CHRISTIAN
AND ANIMIST SOUTHERN SECTION. A WASHINGTON-BASED HUMAN RIGHTS
GROUP SAYS THAT ALTHOUGH MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIED IN THE FIGHTING,
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO IGNORE THE CONFLICT.
CAROL PINEAU REPORTS.
TEXT: THE NUMBERS ARE STAGGERING. ONE-POINT-NINE MILLION PEOPLE
KILLED IN SOUTHERN SUDAN, FOUR MILLION DISPLACED, 350-THOUSAND
REFUGEES SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE REGION BECAUSE OF A SEEMINGLY
ENDLESS WAR. PEACE TALKS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE SUDANESE
PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ARMY IN THE SOUTH REMAIN DEADLOCKED.
REGIONAL MEDIATION EFFORTS HAVE FAILED.
HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS ACCUSE THE GOVERNMENT OF COMMITTING SEVERE
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN THE WAR AGAINST THE THE SUDANESE PEOPLE'S
LIBERATION ARMY, OR S-P-L-A. SECURITY OFFICIALS FROM THE U-N'S
CHIEF RELIEF ORGANIZATION FOR THE COUNTRY, OPERATION LIFELINE
SUDAN, SAY MILITIAMEN ACCOMPANYING GOVERNMENT SUPPLY TRAINS OFTEN
CARRY OUT ATTACKS AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF THE SOUTH. THE U-N
OFFICIALS SAY THE MILITIA RAPE, LOOT AND BURN VILLAGERS' HOUSES.
LAST YEAR, IN ADDITION TO THE FIGHTING, SOUTHERN SUDAN SUFFERED
ONE OF ITS WORST FAMINES IN A DECADE. AID OFFICIALS SAY THE FOOD
SHORTAGE WAS MADE WORSE BY INTERFACTIONAL FIGHTING AMONG THE
REBEL GROUPS IN THE SOUTH AND BY WHAT THEY CALL "KHARTOUM'S
POLITICS OF STARVATION." KHARTOUM AT FIRST REFUSED TO GIVE
FLIGHT CLEARANCE TO U-N RELIEF PLANES CARRYING FOOD TO PEOPLE IN
THE DROUGHT-RAVAGED SOUTH. ALTHOUGH THE GOVERNMENT EVENTUALLY
ALLOWED TWO FLIGHTS PER DAY, OFFICIALS AT OPERATION LIFELINE
SUDAN SAID THESE WERE NOT ENOUGH FOR THOUSANDS OF SOUTHERN
SUDANESE LINING UP AT FEEDING CENTERS.
TODAY, A FAMINE HAS BEEN AVERTED, BUT THE WAR CONTINUES. ROBERT
WINTER IS THE DIRECTOR OF U-S COMMITTEE FOR REFUGEES, A PRIVATE
ORGANIZATION CONCENTRATING ON SUDAN AND RWANDA. MR. WINTER SAYS
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAS THE MEANS TO STOP THE CONFLICT,
BUT HE SAYS IT HAS NOT SHOWN THE WILL.
/// WINTER ACT ///
WE HAVE A POLICY THAT BINDS UP THE WOUNDS AFTER THE
FACT. THAT HELPS DEAL WITH FAMINE VICTIMS, AND WE'RE
GREAT AT DOING THAT. BUT WE DON'T SEEM TO HAVE A POLICY
THAT HELPS TIP THE MILITARY BALANCE SO THAT THERE GETS
TO BE AN END IN THE WAR. SO THAT THE GOVERNMENT
UNDERSTANDS IT CAN'T WIN THE WAR AND IS WILLING TO
PURSUE PEACE. BUT ALSO SO THAT THE PEOPLE OF SUDAN,
PARTICULARLY SOUTH SUDAN, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
PRACTICE SOME SELF-DETERMINATION.
///END ACT ///
/// OPT /// MR. WINTER SAYS THE GOVERNMENT IN SUDAN, IN ADDITION
TO FIGHTING THE S-P-L-A, PLAYS A ROLE IN OTHER FIGHTING IN THE
REGION. BOTH ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA HAVE ACCUSED KHARTOUM OF
FOMENTING OPPOSITION MOVEMENTS IN THEIR COUNTRIES. THE UGANDAN
AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES, EDITH SSEMPALA, SAYS SUDAN IS
ALSO SUPPORTING SEVERAL OTHER REBEL MOVEMENTS IN THE REGION.
AMBASSADOR SSEMPALA SAYS THE LORD'S RESISTANCE ARMY, A REBEL
GROUP THAT CARRIES OUT ATTACKS IN NORTHERN UGANDA, IS BACKED BY
KHARTOUM. THE GROUP KIDNAPS CHILDREN IN NORTHERN UGANDA AND
FORCES THEM TO BECOME SOLDIERS OR SEX-SLAVES OF REBEL COMMANDERS.
THE AMBASSADOR SAYS KHARTOUM ALSO SUPPORTS HUTU REBELS.
MR. WINTER SAYS THE HUTU INTERAHAMWE MILITIA'S SLAUGHTER OF EIGHT
TOURISTS IN A UGANDAN NATIONAL PARK EARLIER THIS MONTH HAD A
CONNECTION TO KHARTOUM.
/// SECOND WINTER ACT ///
WHAT STATE DO YOU THINK THEY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH? THERE
ARE THOSE VERY SAME INTERAHAMWE PEOPLE IN SUDAN IN SOME
CASES FIGHTING ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT. THERE ARE
LINKS OF THIS KIND THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
/// END ACT /// END OPT ///
ACCORDING TO THE REFUGEE OFFICIAL, THE U-S GOVERNMENT IS SO
CONCERNED ABOUT SUDAN'S SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM THAT
IT IGNORES OTHER PROBLEMS IN THE COUNTRY.
/// THIRD WINTER ACT ///
THE U-S POLICY IN SUDAN IS UNDERSTANDABLY HIGHLY FOCUSED
ON INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. TERRORISM, HOWEVER, IS OUR
ISSUE. MY VIEW OF IT IS THAT WHILE WE DEAL PROPERLY
WITH OUR INTEREST OF TERRORISM, THAT WE ALSO NEED TO BE
MORE FOCUSED AND MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF
SUDAN.
///END ACT ///
THIS VIEW HAS SOME SUPPORT IN THE U-S CONGRESS. SENATOR SAM
BROWNBACK SAYS THE UNITED STATES SHOULD TAKE A MORE ACTIVE ROLE
IN PROMOTING DEMOCRACY IN SUDAN.
/// BROWNBACK ACT ///
I PROPOSE WE SHOULD PROVIDE DIRECT HUMANITARIAN SUPPORT
TO THE PRO-DEMOCRACY OPPOSITION GROUPS. WE SHOULD ALSO
INCREASE OUR DEMOCRACY DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE TO HELP
IMPLEMENT A CIVIL SOCIETY FOR WHICH THESE SOUTHERN
FORCES ARE FIGHTING. THIS IS NO MORE THAN WHAT WE ARE
PRESENTLY DOING IN IRAQ. WE CAN EMPOWER THE SOUTH THE
WIN THIS WAR OR WE CAN PASSIVELY WATCH AS THIS ROGUE
NATION CONTINUES TO DESTABILIZE THE REGION .
/// END ACT ////
MR. WINTER SAYS THE UNITED STATES SHOULD PLAY A ROLE IN
PRESSURING KHARTOUM TO HOLD A REFERENDUM ON WHETHER TO DIVIDE THE
COUNTRY. THE TWO SIDES AGREED TO A REFERENDUM AT PEACE TALKS
THAT WERE HELD LAST YEAR, BUT THE GOVERNMENT IN KHARTOUM HAS NOT
SET A DATE.
/// FOURTH WINTER ACT ///
LET'S GO TO THE U-N SECURITY COUNCIL TO SAY THERE SHALL
BE A REFERENDUM IN SOUTH SUDAN. A REFERENDUM ON A DATE
CERTAIN. WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS. LET THE PEOPLE OF
SOUTH SUDAN SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
///END ACT ///
NEWS REPORTS RECENTLY QUOTED THE SUDANESE PRESIDENT SAYING HE
WOULD LIKE THE COUNTRY TO REMAIN UNITED, BUT WOULD PREFER TO LET
THE SOUTH SECEDE RATHER THAN CONTINUE THE WAR. THE GOVERNMENT
HAS NOT ELABORATED ON THE STATEMENT. V-O-A WAS UNABLE TO GET
CONFIRMATION FROM SUDANESE OFFICIALS IN KHARTOUM OR IN THE UNITED
STATES. OPPOSITION GROUPS IN THE SOUTH SAY THEY REMAIN
SKEPTICAL. (SIGNED)
NEB/CP/KL
15-Mar-99 5:39 PM EST (2239 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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