Sudan: the path to peace takes root 

Since the signing of the peace agreement between the Government of Sudan and the Revolutionary Front, the country has sought to emerge through a historic pact aimed at resolving the extensive damage caused by the civil strife. The constitutional agreement, signed between the Transitional Military Council and the Forces for Freedom and Change, stipulated a series of measures to be addressed in order to complete the peace process.

Among the most relevant were the composition of the Sovereign Council, composed of civilian and military members under the mandate of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Another key measure was the creation of a peace process within six months of the signing of the pact in the regions at war: Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has issued a decree granting autonomy to the states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan. In addition, it is envisaged that the authorities of both regions will have the right to receive a percentage of the wealth of both states and the distribution of political representation in the municipalities and the government. In this sense, this provision would be in line with the agreement, at least in line with the promises to "bring peace to the regions". 

In dealing with the war in Sudan, the primary focus has remained on South Sudan and Darfur. However, South Kordofan and Blue Nile, bordering states, have been at the centre of separate conflicts that have deep roots in confrontations that go back decades. The cultural marginalisation of Kordofan, which has a large population belonging to the Arab Misseriya and Hawazma tribes, together with the plundering of its natural resources by the north, led to clashes with serious humanitarian consequences.

In 2011, after the independence referendum in South Sudan and the adoption of a Comprehensive Peace Agreement, South Kordofan and Blue Nile, along with Abyei, were the forgotten regions. Their path to greater autonomy was thus further aggravated and it was going to be more difficult to prevent the plundering of natural resources. 

Last October in Juba, a general agenda for negotiations was agreed to allow humanitarian workers access to rebel-held areas, as well as the signing of a cessation of hostilities declaration.

In this vein, the peace agreement brought an end to 17 years of war. Alongside this, the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur, known by its acronym MINUAD, has begun to reduce its presence in the region after the mission was officially suspended on 31 December. Local authorities have been gradually reoccupying the headquarters where the mission's personnel were based in Darfur. Following this process, several barracks have been looted, according to internal sources. 

According to the head of the mission's exit procedures team, General Muhammad Abkar, these lootings are taking place because "there are those who incite citizens to loot the mission's headquarters, which makes it necessary to take measures to lose the opportunity for peace".

Following the expiration of the mission's mandate, the Sudanese authorities confirmed that they were "determined to protect the territory with their local security and military elements, as well as to form a joint force to address the insecurity in the country".

These decisions and measures come weeks after the transitional authorities widened the circle of both regional and international guarantors of the peace agreement. The signing of the agreement through the Troika states provoked positive reactions from the United States, Britain and Norway as witnesses to the agreement in what would signal the necessary support for the Transitional Authority. In this vein, progress is sought on the provisions of the security arrangements, the return of displaced persons, the division of wealth and the extradition of war crimes suspects to the Criminal Court.

Last week, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok made a limited reshuffle of state governors, with armed movements in the states of North and West Darfur (in the western region) and Blue Nile (in the southeast), in line with the peace agreement.

On the other hand, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Sudan has warned that by the end of the year 9.3 million people in the country would be in need of humanitarian assistance. In addition, it is difficult to know the official death toll from the conflict. Official sources put the official figure at 400,000 dead, but the numbers could be higher. 

Thus, the peace process in Sudan continues to be the keynote that is shaping the country's future. Although the measures are slow and difficult to implement, the latest decisions, now with the autonomy of Blue Nile and South Kordofan, suggest that peace is slowly beginning to settle in a region that, since its short existence as a state, has only known war.