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Soldiers of South Sudan's SPLA
army: The two Sudans are close to
igniting a civil war and it may be time
for the U.S. or China to step in as
peacemaker. Photo:
REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic
http://theweek.com/article/index/227328/3-ways-to-defuse-the-deadly-sudan-conflict
WORLD OPINION
3 ways to defuse the deadly Sudan conflictTensions continue to flare along the disputed oil-rich border dividing Sudan andSouth Sudan. What will it take to avoid an immensely painful civil war?
PUBLISHED APRIL 27, 2012, AT 10:44 AM
Sudan and South Sudan continued inching closer to all-
out war on Thursday, as the longtime rivals traded
accusations designed to paint each other as the
aggressor. South Sudan said its northern neighbor had
bombed a village in the oil-rich Unity state along the
two nations' contested border. In response, Khartoumaccused South Sudan of beating captured soldiers. Can
anything stop the sister nations from renewing a civil
war that killed two million people over two decades?
Here, three crucial steps to restore peace:
1. The U.S. must stand by South Sudan
It would be a mistake to treat both sides equally, as
Sudan is the true aggressor, says Jendayi Frazer at the
Council on Foreign Relations. South Sudan has nomeans to defend itself from the north's constant
bombing. "We need to give [South Sudan] a security
blanket," and tell the north, "If you mess with the South,
you mess with the United States." That's the only way
to stop the fighting long enough to get both sides back
to the negotiating table to settle disputes over border
lines and sharing oil revenue that should have been
resolved before South Sudan seceded last year.
2. China has to step up, too
China, the biggest oil customer at Port Sudan, is in a unique position to play peacemaker, says
Daniel Howden at Britain's The Independent. During the 20-year Sudanese civil war, China acted
like a "comic book villain," protecting its commercial interests by blocking any attempt by the
United Nations Security Council to punish the Sudanese regime for "war crimes against its own
population." The Sudanese divorce "has divided that oil between two countries," so now China has
a stake in restoring peace. If Beijing commits itself, it can surely help get both sides to work out
their differences.
3. The world should pay Sudan for peace
The South's secession was a bitter pill for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to swallow, says
Mark Tran at Britain's Guardian. South Sudan got two-thirds of Sudanese oil reserves, and "the
loss of oil revenues has left Khartoum with a financial black hole of about $7 billion." That's why
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diplomats are floating a "grand plan" to make up for the shortfall through a mix of belt-tightening in
Khartoum, cash from China and Gulf states, and higher fees for transferring oil from landlocked
South Sudan to Sudan's port. Really, the world ought to just pay off Sudan: "$7 billion to buy
peace looks like a bargain."