With landmark elections and an important referendum approaching in Sudan, immediate action is needed to bolster the fragile peace process. Caroline Gluck visits communities who have faced violence and displacement.
Five years after the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed, Sudan is once again at a crossroads. The next 12 months will be critical, with landmark elections and a referendum where southerners will decide whether they want to remain part of a united Sudan or secede. There are fears that unless the international community acts now, Sudan could once again face serious instability. A new report from Oxfam calls for immediate action to bolster the fragile peace process.
Last year saw a major upsurge in violence in southern Sudan, with more than 2,500 people killed and over a quarter of a million displaced. In December 2009, Oxfam spoke to communities living in Western and Central Equatoria and Lakes State, who have faced violence and displacement.