South Sudan: Ethnic Tensions Bound to Fuel Violence on Eve of Independence
By Staff Writer
JUBA---A new briefing by the Minority Rights Group (MRG) International says that ethnic tensions fuelled by unequal access to resources and political influence in Southern Sudan could increase violence and threaten the stability of what will soon become Africa’s newest nation.
Competition between ethnic groups over scarce resources continues to spark violence, often in the form of deadly cattle-raids. According to MRG research, some minority groups feel that their interests are not being represented within the political system, and that resources have been diverted to more populous ethnic groups.
‘The Government of South Sudan will need to focus on political representation for minorities and an equitable distribution of resources in order to alleviate ethnic tensions that threaten long-term stability,’ says Chris Chapman, Head of Conflict Prevention at MRG.
MRG research found that poverty is one of the main factors exacerbating existing tensions. In Boma, a diverse sub-district of Jonglei state, violent incidents spike during the dry season when cattle herding pastoralists must range far in order to water and graze their herds. Groups often clash as they are competing for the same water points and grasslands.
Many community leaders interviewed by MRG suggested that development is key to resolving ethnic tension. For example, building dams and drilling boreholes would create greater access for herders and cut down on competition, they said. Creating greater access to water, along with irrigation systems, would also allow the population in Boma to grow crops, which they are currently unable to do during the dry season.
‘If the people could feed themselves and even sell some vegetables in the market, they would not be so dependent on food aid or on raising cattle. This will cut down on the violence,’ says Paul Oloyo Longony of the Boma Development Initiative (BDI), an MRG partner organisation.
‘The government in Khartoum must also provide constructive support to the newly independent country. The current military intervention in Abyei is unacceptable and bodes ill for future good relations between the two countries,’ Chapman adds.
MRG has supported BDI in holding reconciliation meetings between tribal leaders, allowing them to air grievances and resolve their differences.
A referendum in January brought together Southern Sudan’s estimated 50 ethnic groups and almost 600 sub-groups in a common goal – to break from the north and form a separate country. Sudan was ranked second in MRG’s annual Peoples Under Threat table for 2011.
MRG says the Government of South Sudan must capitalize on that spirit of unity that prevailed during the referendum to alleviate the threat of instability caused by tensions between ethnic groups. In order to do so, the government will need to create an inclusive political culture that brings development to all areas of the region.
The region, which is one of the poorest in the world, is expected to declare independence on July 9. The Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS), with aid from the international community, now has a monumental task ahead of it: to build a functioning state almost from the ground up.
The role of minorities must be a focal point in the nation-building process.
Southern Sudan is home to an estimated 56 ethnic groups and almost 600 sub-groups. Competition over access to scarce resources causes tensions between groups; such tensions often explode into violence, undermining development initiatives. There is also a danger that ethnic concerns could hijack the political process even as it develops. This could create a state dominated by the interests of the most populous ethnic groups at the expense of smaller ones.
The government now has a unique chance to capitalize on the political mandate granted by southerners of diverse backgrounds who voted overwhelmingly to form a new nation. The GoSS should build on that spirit of solidarity and take concrete measures to create a national identity that is inclusive of all ethnicities, and ensure equitable distribution of resources among all people.
The briefing notes that during the civil war, some of the worst atrocities were committed by armed factions of different ethnic groups that turned against each other rather than fighting their common enemy in the north. The Sudanese government, based in the northern city of Khartoum, played upon ethnic rivalries, often arming militias to fight against the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and fomenting ethnic rifts within the SPLA.
Violent incidents continue to destabilize Southern Sudan, claiming many civilian lives. In early February, for example, attacks by a militia – allegedly backed by Khartoum – reportedly killed more than 200 people in Jonglei state. In the current context of ethnic tension and the ubiquity of small arms, clashes like these will continue to seriously undermine attempts to build a stable country. If such violence escalates Southern Sudan will be born a failed state.
MRG recommends, among others, that GoSS should deliver on promises made in the Draft Transitional Constitution pertaining to the protection of minority rights, by ensuring that minorities are represented in policy discussions about the development of the political system and the writing of a new constitution. There should be an informed discussion of the various models available to ensure participation of minorities in decisions that affect them, and a system should be adopted that gives minorities an effective voice at various levels of government.