Lobby calls for global response to Sudan crisis

Kenyans evacuted from South Sudan arrive at Wilson Airtport, Nairobi, Friday. More are said to be stranded in the troubled nation. [PHOTO: FIDELIS KABUNYI/STANDARD]

By STEVE MKAWALE

International Centre for Policy and Conflict (ICPC) has lobbied for more global attention to the crisis in South Sudan and the Central Africa Republic.

The organisation also backed efforts by the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD) to restore peace in the troubled countries.

In a statement, ICPC condemned escalating serious crimes against civilians in South Sudan, saying the national borders are no longer safe heavens to protect leaders who abuse people and cause mass murder under their control.

“We commend the current ongoing political and diplomatic efforts spearheaded by the IGAD to resolve ethno-political violence crisis in the South Sudan. Equally, we encourage more tough action in the deteriorating situation in the Central Africa Republic,” read the statement in part.

The organisation warned that the political consideration both in South Sudan and Central Africa Republic should not blur effective humanitarian interventions.

“A deliberate and systematic attempt to terrorise, expel or murder an entire people must be met decisively with all necessary means,” ICPC said.

The institution recalled that in the wake of the failures by the Security Council to act in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, the international community adopted Responsibility to Protect (R2P) principle to enable decisive action be taken whenever citizens’ human rights are grossly and systematically violated or serious threats exist. It said the ongoing crisis strongly merit more robust international intervention to stop further ethnic targeted crimes and escalating instability.

Ethnic warfare

“We are concerned that these countries can no longer perform basic functions of providing education, health, security, livelihoods and democratic governance. Within this power vacuum, people are falling victim to competing factions and criminal gangs,” they noted.

ICPC urged countries with vast interests, especially economic resources, to desist from any form of action that can escalate destabilisation by fuelling ethnic warfare or supporting different forces. This, it said, can eventually cause collapse of the country.

ICPC observed that the long-term solution to the persistent political and social problems in both countries remain a negotiated more inclusive government that would facilitate establishment of democratic rules and systems effectively able to mitigate political disputes and act as a bridge for future stable inclusive democratic country. “Further to stabilise the country and build lasting peace a lot of investment is necessary in building more stable, credible and capable democratic institutions and reliable legal regime to robustly tackle grave human rights violations, corruption and advance democratic values.

Population displacement

“The countries need a more stabilising electoral governance system based on mixed member proportional representation, which significantly addresses issues of fairness, inclusivity, representation and participation of virtually all ethnic and social groups,” read the statement.

The ICPC urged African leaders and their governments to recognise that the primary duty of leadership is protecting and defending the rights of their people, not themselves.

Escalating violence in South Sudan has given rise to a massive population displacement, leaving tens of thousands of people in dire need of uregent medical care. East Africa’s leaders met in Juba to discuss growing violence in South Sudan, where more than 1,000 people are believed to have died.

The talks come a day after South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir met the President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ethiopian PM Hailemariam Desalegn.

Meanwhile, the UN has said the first peacekeeping reinforcements were expected to arrive in 48 hours.

Violence erupted 12 days ago between forces loyal to Mr Kiir and those backing his ex-deputy Riek Machar. Kenyan military has assisted hundreds of its citizens to flee the war-torn country in the past week.