The World's Newest Country
Last week we learned of a planet in another solar system that was much like Earth and held out the possibility of life. The science community was abuzz, as the concept of an entirely new entity captured the imagination.We’re about ready to go through something similar right here on this planet, and the ramifications are indeed significant. Sudan has been a country at brutal war with itself almost from its inception. Its complex social nature, tribal rivalries, and its sheer geographic size (largest nation in Africa) defied solutions for its endless problems.And then something happened; the ice broke and new rivulets of life began spreading out through its people. The Comprehensive Peace Accord was finally settled and signed in 2005, and there was no shortage of voices claiming credit for what had once seemed impossible. George Bush, the European Union, Sudan’s regional neighbours, and the UN, all felt flushed with pride at the outcome. Canada had been in Sudan for years prior to the peace signing, and had even funded much of the negotiations themselves, but our natural tendency for restraint meant that a large part of the world – even in Canada itself – never knew the pivotal role supplied by a great many Canadian diplomatic leaders in guaranteeing the outcome.My wife Jane and I were at the three various rounds of peace talks prior to the signing ceremony and we learned one incontrovertible fact: the true credit for peace lay in the absolute exhaustion citizens from both north and south Sudan felt towards war and its destruction. While some of the leaders negotiating the sessions might have wished it otherwise, the sheer drive for peace from their citizens ultimately carried the day. It was marvelous to watch, and exhilarating in its outcome.This coming January, a referendum will be held as to whether the people of south Sudan will opt to remain in a unified nation or break off and form their own country. No seasoned observer doubts the outcome – following decades of civil war and deaths in the millions, the south’s penchant for separation is inevitable. Or it could be a renewed outbreak of violence. Either way, the implications for Africa and the world are significant.
For Canada, creative options exist for CIDA, Foreign Affairs and Defense to offer specific assistance that would follow-up on the role Canada has played in Sudan for the last decade and more. The last thing we would wish would be to be caught flat-footed, whatever the results may be. All parties in the House have a key interest in the outcome and discussions should already be underway.Last evening I attended a reception to celebrate the 50th anniversary of independence for 17 African nations. The road has been rocky for most, but all recognize this country’s role on that continent since the 1960s – a role that is now more historical than current. A new country doesn’t come along all that often. It’s a remarkable international moment and Sudan’s future will require Canadian interest. We’ll consider some ideas for how that could look like in subsequent posts.