09 Jan 2007 - While the conflict in Sudan’s western region of Darfur continues to rage, there are more hopeful signs for peace in the South and East of the country after the signing of two landmark peace agreements.

The first of these, the ‘Comprehensive Peace Agreement’ (CPA), was signed on 9 January 2005 between the Government of Sudan and the southern-based Sudan People's Liberation Movement, formally ending one of Africa’s longest and bloodiest conflicts in which more than 2 million people are estimated to have died.

Meanwhile, the ‘East Sudan Peace Agreement’ was signed in October 2006 between the Government of Sudan and the East Sudan Front, marking the end of a low-level insurgency that has simmered since the early 1990s.

It is hoped that both of these agreements will help bring peace, security and long-term development to some of Sudan’s poorest and most troubled regions.

Plenty of challenges remain before these goals can be achieved. The implementation of the CPA has slipped heavily behind schedule. Huge efforts are required to support the millions of refugees and internally displaced that are planning to return home to the South. Many of the areas of return have been marginalized for years and there is a lack of even the most basic health and education facilities.

IRC Position Paper [PDF]: Sudan: The Challenges of Peace

Statement: Aid Agencies Warn Sudan Peace Process May Stall

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