Sudanese leaders thrash out (another) peace deal
Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, right, with the South Sudanese leader, Salva Kiir.[/b
In Addis Ababa this weekend, the presidents of Sudan and South Sudan – two countries which 18 months ago were just one – thrashed out yet another agreement to solve the never-ending border and security issues between them. President Omar al-Bashir, with an international arrest warrant hanging over his head, and President Salva Kiir, with a trademark black cowboy hat over his, gritted their teeth and smiled for the cameras as they shook on a deal that neither is likely to be able to enforce.
Let's start with Bashir. The Sudanese leader, who has clung onto power through thick and thin since 1989, is desperately trying to stave off the most serious threats to his rule to date. "Facing armed resistance from restive ethnic groups in all corners of the country, as well as unrest on city streets from a population resentful of the state's repressive tendencies, the regime has shown signs of losing its grip on power," wrote Time magazine in a recent article, which wondered how much longer Bashir had left. "The regime's problems are exacerbated by delays in the flow of oil from South Sudan, sinking the Sudanese pound to an all-time low. As economic woes deepen, many observers suspect that Bashir ... will face an internal power struggle that he may not survive."
Bashir's counterpart at the negotiating table was President Salva Kiir. The two men know each other well because they've been at this for years, but Kiir won't be too worried by Bashir's troubles – he's got enough of his own to deal with. South Sudan remains very much a work in progress, and the president is not nearly as powerful as he'd like to be. It's very much doubtful whether Kiir has the authority to implement any of the agreements made in Addis Ababa, especially the ones which involve some kind of compromise. Not that it's necessarily his fault.
[b]FULL STORY:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/ja ... peace-deal
MORE INFO:
http://www.goss.org/
