Sudan. (Areas of Conflict).

Sudan's civil war is the longest in Africa; in 44 years of fighting more than two million people have been killed. The war has also driven the way of life in southern Sudan backwards by several centuries. There are virtually no paved roads; what few schools there are are short of supplies and teachers; and health centres rely on the medicine and doctors that international relief agencies can bring in during lulls in the fighting. The only means of travel is by foot. Because of the fierce heat, most people travel a night and take their chances with lions and hyenas. A central focus of the fighting remains the attempt by the south, usually described as African and Christian or animist, to gain independence from the north, usually described as Arab and Islamic. However, the conflict has now gone well beyond the north-south dimension. Today, it includes multiple groups in the north, which are Muslim-based and also in armed rebellion against the National Islamic Front government. These northern groups want a democracy whose government is not based on any religion.

The two main rebel groups involved are the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

The southern forces split along regional and ethnic lines in 1991 and have been as much at war with each other as with the north since that time.

A Peace Accord in 1997 between the government and break-away rebel factions in the south established the transitional Southern Coordination Council. The plan was that this would lead to a referendum. However, the SPLA was not included so the fighting has continued. Government forces remain in garrison towns, which the rebels try to capture from time to time. Sometimes, government soldiers make forays out into the countryside to attack rebel strongholds.

By mid-1998, 2.4 million people in the south were facing starvation. Thousands of people died and aid agencies were having great difficulty reaching victims. In July 1998, the rebels declared a three-month ceasefire to allow food supplies to reach the starving people. In August, the government agreed to a one-month ceasefire. Canada is taking part in an international effort to achieve a negotiated settlement to the civil war. Senator Lois Wilson has been appointed as Canada's special envoy to the Sudan Peace Process.

The Organization of African Unity is trying to find ways of resolving the long-running war. The Sudan Peace Process is part of that effort.

Canada is also concerned about the role of oil extraction in prolonging the war. A Canadian company, Talisman Energy, is very active in Sudan. There are concerns that oil revenue may be fuelling the war and that civilians are being forced to relocate to facilitate pumping oil.

Websites

The Sudan Foundation - http:/www.sufo.demon.co.uk

Sudan Infonet - http://sudaninfonet.tripod.com/NSI/

Sudan Net - http://www.sudan.net/