Report

Looking East: The Politics of Peacemaking in the Beja Region of Sudan

“As Sudan continues to make headlines because of continuing violence it is clear that the piecemeal approach to conflict in Sudan is not sustainable. Each of the regional agreements signed since 2005 cannot be implemented on an equal basis. Indeed the primacy of the CPA overshadows other regional processes, despite the initial intentions of the respective drafters. Certainly it has entrenched the National Congress Party as the key political actor in the current landscape. While the CPA, DPA and EPA may offer marginalised Sudanese a few seats at the table during this current ‘transition’ period they hardly affect the ‘dinner party’ itself. And while cognisance should be taken of the particularities of each micro-region particularly as they relate to the role of traditional authorities and the conflict over scarce resources, there should also be an awareness of the ways in which each of the Peace Agreements have institutionalised a regional approach to politics, limiting to a large extent the aspirations of an alternative national Sudanese approach to the conflicts.”