Background
South Sudan became a country on July 9, 2011. Its independence from Sudan brought an end to part of a devastating civil war that had originated in southern Sudan in 1983. Less than three years after declaring independence, South Sudan became embroiled in its own civil conflict. On December 15, 2013, President Salva Kiir accused his former vice president, Riek Machar, of plotting a coup against him. Kiir had fired Machar in July, along with his entire cabinet. Kiir arrested eleven prominent politicians he suspected of involvement with the alleged plot.
Fighting broke out between supporters of Mr. Kiir and supporters of Mr. Machar. Ethnic tensions, spurred by radio broadcasts, have fanned the flames of the conflict and converted it into a civil war between two ethnic groups: Mr. Kiir’s Dinka and Mr. Machar’s Nuer. Shortly after the fighting began, reports indicated that both sides had begun killing civilians of the opposing ethnicity. On December 16, government military forces killed 200-300 Nuer men in Juba, the capital. There were also reports of rebels targeting Dinka civilians elsewhere.
Delegations representing the government and the rebels have been meeting for months in Ethiopia. A ceasefire agreement was reached in January, but it was never successfully implemented. In late April, the rebel White Army took to the streets of Bentiu, killing people suspected of supporting the government. The Economist announced reported casualties of over 200 people in a single mosque, with many others throughout the city. As of early April, the conflict displaced over 1,000,000 people and killed more than 10,000.
International Response
Countries in the region have begun to take sides: Uganda supports the government, while the rebels have sought aid from Ethiopia. Sudan has sold weapons to both Mr. Kiir’s government forces and Mr. Machar’s rebels.
On May 6, the United States announced that it would freeze the assets of and issue travel bans against two individuals, one on each side of the conflict. The targets of the American sanctions were Marial Chanuong, commander of Mr. Kiir’s presidential guard and Peter Gadet, who U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry accused of leading the massacre in Bentiu. However, it was unclear whether either Mr. Chanuong or Mr. Gadet has assets in American banks. Additionally, Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia—countries where many Sudanese frequently travel and own property—did not agree to the sanctions. Norway’s foreign minister, though, promised “firmer” action if the fighting continued.
Prospects for Peace
Optimistic news began brewing in early May 2014. Negotiators in Ethiopia proposed a “month of tranquility” despite the utter failure of the January attempt at a ceasefire. Unlike the January efforts to halt the fighting, however, this second try was accompanied by potentially meaningful concessions. At a May 5 meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, Mr. Kiir said he would accept the formation of an interim government that would include Mr. Riek. On the same day, Mr. Riek promised to attend peace talks. Some analysts, however, dismissed the statements as insincere and pointed out that both leaders had made similar statements several times before.
References & Resources
News
“Yoweri Museveni: Uganda troops fighting South Sudan rebels.” BBC News. 16 January 2014. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-25759650.
“A New Depth of Horror.” The Economist. 26 April 2014. http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21601244-civil-wars-worst-massacre-ensures-war-will-get-still-bloodier-new.
Nicholas Kulish. “New Estimate Sharply Raises Death Toll in South Sudan.” New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/10/world/africa/new-estimate-sharply-raises-death-toll-in-south-sudan.html.
Michael R. Gordon. “U.S. Imposes First Sanctions in South Sudan Conflict.” New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/07/world/africa/us-imposes-first-sanctions-in-south-sudan-conflict.html.
“South Sudan: President Kiir Accepts Interim Government with Riek Machar.” AllAfrica. 6 May 2014. http://allafrica.com/stories/201405070501.html.
Aaron Maascho. “South Sudan Says it Will Suspend Attacks on Rebels for a Month.” Reuters. 7 May 2014. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/07/us-southsudan-unrest-idUSBREA460NN20140507.
“South Sudan Rebel Chief Promises to End War.” New Vision. 7 May 2014. http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/655305-south-sudan-rebel-chief-promises-to-end-war.html.
NGO Reports
“South Sudan: Ethnic Targeting.” Human Rights Watch. 16 January 2014. http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/01/16/south-sudan-ethnic-targeting-widespread-killings
“South Sudan: A Civil War by Any Other Name.” International Crisis Group. 10 April 2014. http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/regions/africa/horn-of-africa/south-sudan/217-south-sudan-a-civil-war-by-any-other-name.aspx.
“South Sudan: Ethnic Killings Spiraling.” Human Rights Watch. 23 April 2014. http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/04/23/south-sudan-ethnic-killings-spiraling.