The border between Sudan and South Sudan is again buzzing with artillery fire, aerial bombardment and soldiers march. Both sides are blaming each other for breaking the uneasy peace between these two nations which used to be one people in near past.
If the leaders of these poverty stricken countries are any sincere to the people they claim to represent, then they have few role models to choose from – how bloody was the breakup of Yugoslavia (still the conflict has not died down after two decades) and how peaceful was the division of Czechoslovakia into two independent states.
For last six decades, India and Pakistan are maintaining armies beyond their real strategic needs, on the pretext of a border conflict from the 1947 partition time – Kashmir. By this they are depriving millions of their own people of education, health care, clean water and a decent life.
If Omar Bashir and Silva Kiir want to go for bad role model, can anyone stop them? Perhaps it’s time for the UN and neighbouring countries to come forward to avoid an unnecessary conflict which may divide the region on religious grounds. There are already signs of such a divide as Uganda appears to be taking sides with South Sudan.
Both Khartoum and Juba need to understand that war is no solution for the border conflict; they need to sit across the table to negotiate a win-win solution. Time is running out for both. War is the minimum misery this region needs which is already engulfed with droughts, poverty, civil wars, diamonds wars, ethnic and tribal violence. Let’s hope that better sense will prevail!
MASOOD KHAN
Jubail, Saudi Arabia
