On January 9, 2005, the government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) to end the decades-long civil war between the north and south. The CPA ushered in a six-year interim period of political power sharing between the north and south with specific terms regarding troop deployments, oil revenue sharing, a national census and 2009 elections. The CPA culminates in 2011 when the south is scheduled to have the opportunity to vote for independence from the rest of Sudan. While the CPA provides a roadmap for peace between north and south, implementation of various aspects of the agreement has been slow, and international observers constantly warn of the possibility of renewed fighting between the north and south.

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"In these difficult days, we pray that God, whose blessed Son 'came to preach peace to those who are far off and those who are near,' would grant wisdom and strength to our brothers and sisters in Sudan, as well as inspiration and purpose to all who watch from a distance and wish to help by heart, hand, or voice."

- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, The Episcopal Church

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The signing of the CPA – the most significant step toward peace between northern and southern forces in Sudan in decades -- continues to be overshadowed by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Darfur, the western region of Sudan. Tensions between the regions ethnic groups and the central government peaked in 2003 when two local rebel groups attacked a government outpost. Since that time, government-backed militias, known as the Janjaweed, have been systematically committing mass atrocities in Darfur.  The U.S. Government has asserted that the Sudanese Government is committing genocide against the people in Darfur. Estimates of innocent civilians killed range from 200,000 to more than 450,000. With more than half of Darfur’s seven million people either internally or externally displaced and exclusively dependent on external aid for shelter, food and water, the conflict in Darfur represents the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today.

Sudan advocates must urge U.S. Government officials to address the crises in south Sudan and in Darfur simultaneously.  In south Sudan, U.S. officials must continue pressuring the CPA signatories for full implementation and support diplomatic and development aid to south Sudan. In Darfur, U.S. officials must continue working with multilateral allies in forging a meaningful peace agreement, supporting the full deployment of the United Nations/African Union peacekeeping force and cooperating with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in its investigation and action against those responsible for crimes against humanity.