Professor discusses possible South Sudan secession

Secession does not mean a happy ending for the people of South Sudan.

That was the message Andrew Reynolds, chairman of the global studies department, brought to a group of about 15 students in the Student Union on Tuesday.

Reynolds worked with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in writing the group’s 2005 peace agreements and constitution.

The long-awaited referendum to end the civil war and secede from Sudan began Jan. 9.

Reynolds said after years of struggling for a vote the people of South Sudan overwhelmingly supported secession.

One student, who said she helped build schools and treat sick children in Sudan last summer, said the people were optimistic about secession.

Another positive development for Sudan is the shared oil reserves. The reserves will benefit both countries, Reynolds said. Although official lines have not been drawn, the division will allow for an equal distribution of oil, providing a consistent stream of revenue for both nations.

While Reynolds highlighted the progress South Sudan has made, he pointed out many issues on the horizon.

There remains little interest among southerners to create a new constitution for themselves. Reynolds said that until a new constitution is made, control could be given to the SPLM, rather than the nation’s people.

Corrupt government elections, the potential for violence, and diversity also threaten the creation of a homogeneous state, he said.

Reynolds added attacks in the Darfur region seem to have waned over the past few years but did not attribute the decline to the peace talks.

“The reason the genocide in Darfur has waned is because they’ve run out of people to kill,” said Reynolds, who has been asked to travel to Tunisia to help rewrite the country’s constitution. He will leave for the African nation in 10 days, he said.

Cara Peterson, a senior and co-chairwoman for the University’s chapter of the anti-genocide organization STAND, said an unfortunate consequence of secession is the declining support from other nations.

“The most important thing we can do is to keep pressure on the area for the next year,” she said.

Reynolds agreed democratic promotion, if carried out correctly, is essential to promoting long-term stability.

He said, “This is a much more rosy picture than we expected.”

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