The Politics of Secession and Regional Instability in the Horn of Africa: Examining the Case of South Sudan
Presenter's country
Ethiopia
Start Date
28-5-2016 9:30 AM
End Date
28-5-2016 10:35 AM
Location
Hall II
Submission type
Presentation
Abstract
On 9 July 2011, the latest breakup of political marriage in the Horn of Africa was witnessed. After protracted North-South civil war in Sudan, Southern Sudan declared independence following a referendum arranged as per the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that was signed in 2005. South Sudan is born with attendant issues in an intricate conflict-prone region where the legacy of inter-state cooperation is negligible at least and non-existent at the worst. Hence, the impact of the new state on the sub-region is inevitable. This study looks at the impact of South Sudan’s independent statehood on regional stability in the Horn of Africa. The overarching framework of analysis is situated on the fact that the distinct nature of state formation in Africa/Horn of Africa puts newly born states at the center in impacting on regional stability. The study employed a qualitative approach based on secondary sources and primary sources including face to face interview with academicians, diplomats, and experts; and ascertained that border issues, unresolved post-secession issues, the domino effect of South Sudan’s secession, and internal turmoil in South Sudan itself tend to embroil countries in the regional dynamics of conflict. Promising regional cooperation was also underway for some time in areas such as the Nile waters, infrastructure, capacity building, and trade and investment. The study concludes that the birth of South Sudan instead of contributing to regional peace and stability by ending the protracted North-South conflict may become a liability for the conflict-ridden region of the Horn of Africa. Though the new cooperative arrangements are ground breaking and helpful for regional cooperation, prospects for improvements could be bleak as long as the prevailing conflict episodes persist unabated.
The Politics of Secession and Regional Instability in the Horn of Africa: Examining the Case of South Sudan
Hall II
On 9 July 2011, the latest breakup of political marriage in the Horn of Africa was witnessed. After protracted North-South civil war in Sudan, Southern Sudan declared independence following a referendum arranged as per the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that was signed in 2005. South Sudan is born with attendant issues in an intricate conflict-prone region where the legacy of inter-state cooperation is negligible at least and non-existent at the worst. Hence, the impact of the new state on the sub-region is inevitable. This study looks at the impact of South Sudan’s independent statehood on regional stability in the Horn of Africa. The overarching framework of analysis is situated on the fact that the distinct nature of state formation in Africa/Horn of Africa puts newly born states at the center in impacting on regional stability. The study employed a qualitative approach based on secondary sources and primary sources including face to face interview with academicians, diplomats, and experts; and ascertained that border issues, unresolved post-secession issues, the domino effect of South Sudan’s secession, and internal turmoil in South Sudan itself tend to embroil countries in the regional dynamics of conflict. Promising regional cooperation was also underway for some time in areas such as the Nile waters, infrastructure, capacity building, and trade and investment. The study concludes that the birth of South Sudan instead of contributing to regional peace and stability by ending the protracted North-South conflict may become a liability for the conflict-ridden region of the Horn of Africa. Though the new cooperative arrangements are ground breaking and helpful for regional cooperation, prospects for improvements could be bleak as long as the prevailing conflict episodes persist unabated.