The nature of the dispute between North and South and the implications of the General Peace Agreement for the formation process of South Sudan

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the process of formation of the Republic of South Sudan and the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in the context of the factors that influenced the evolution of the Sudanese conflict. Therefore, the objective is to highlight the relevance and the consequences of CPA implementation for the two Sudanese states based on some questions: why this agreement was accorded? Which goals it intended to achieve and why some issues such as the problems relating to border issues —particularly Blue Nile, South Kordofan and Abyei— and problems related to the division of property from oil, were left inconclusive. In this sense initially is sought a reflection on the historical structure of the conflicting relations between North and South Sudan, emphasizing the factors that culminated in South Sudan’s independence process. Then, there is the discussion of implementation of the CPA, emphasizing its importance in trying to establish a more lasting peace in the region, but also the consequences of this agreement for the two Sudanese states due to their weaknesses in this implementation period, especially to the aforementioned border regions. Therefore, the analysis of the CPA will be used to try to understand their vulnerabilities in South Sudan secession process and consequently the challenges faced by the new country.