Moins d’un an après la déclaration de son indépendance en juillet 2011 qui a fait de lui le pays plus jeune pays du monde [en français] le Sud-Soudan continue à faire face à une crise humanitaire. La guerre civile entre le Sud-Soudan africain et le Nord-Soudan arabe, avait déjà fait environ 1,5 million de victimes ; les organisations internationales craignent que les incidents récents en fassent encore plus.
Au début de l’année, le Sud-Soudan a, par exemple, classé l’Etat de Jonglei comme zone sinistrée à la suite du déplacement forcé de près de 100 000 personnes, provoqu par des combats entre les tribus rivales des Nuer et des Murle [en anglais]. Les Nations Unies ont déjà lancé une opération d’urgence [en anglais] pour fournir de l’aide humanitaire à environ 60 000 personnes.
Le blog Borgen Project propose une revue détaillée des derniers conflits tribaux [en anglais] :
It is reported that these clashes began as cattle raids, but have spiraled out of control. Conflicts such as these “cattle vendettas,” as well as other clashes between rival groups, are common in South Sudan. The United Nations says that about 350,000 people were displaced as a result of this kind of violence last year.
Intercommunal violence like this poses a major challenge for the fledgling government in South Sudan. Being a newly independent state, the country is faced with the task of establishing an effective system of governance. Furthermore, South Sudan is one of the world's poorest regions. It has hardly any roads, schools, medical clinics, or other vital infrastructure. The lack of economic development within the country only fuels instability and leads to a higher rate of clashes like these recent ones in Jonglei.
La Catholic Relief Services (CRS – Secours Catholique), une association humanitaire présente au Sud-Soudan, se joint à l’analyse précédente [en anglais] :
The troubled state of Jonglei has a long history of ethnic tensions, cattle raiding, kidnappings and sometimes violent competition for scarce resources.The most recent attacks were led by the self-proclaimed Nuer White Army, a group of as many as 6,000 armed youth from the Lou Nuer ethnic group. Spokespersons of the armed group stated that their intention was to reclaim stolen cattle and 180 kidnapped children that they say raiders from a neighboring ethnic group, the Murle, had taken from their communities.
[…]
“After nearly four decades of working in Sudan and South Sudan, CRS recognises that sustainable development and peace are tightly interwoven,” Boyd says. “To contribute to a lasting improvement in the level of basic services and economic opportunities available to people throughout South Sudan, it is imperative to support communities to find meaningful, concrete ways to resolve their differences and put an end to destructive conflict. Simultaneously, tensions between groups are often exacerbated by the scarcity of basic services like access to water, schools, or health clinics. Development and peace have to happen at the same time.”
Une autre organisation humanitaire, Oxfam, met aussi en parallèle l’arrêt des conflits et l’approvisionnement en biens et services de base [en anglais].
As South Sudan emerges as a new nation, there may be no more pressing issue for its people, and perhaps for the stability of the nation as a whole, than the investments it makes in its agricultural sector and long term food security.
[…]
The international community has invested a tremendous amount in shepherding Sudan and South Sudan through the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and independence. Now, however, the work just begins and donors must double down on their commitments to help South Sudan overcome the challenges of insecurity, displacement, and cyclical droughts and floods.
As it makes this transition to a nation at peace with itself and with its neighbor, South Sudan will require a comprehensive balance of predictable, multi-year development assistance alongside continued support for humanitarian needs focused on strengthening the GoSS emergency preparedness and disaster management capacity
It will also be important to invest in programs of Disaster Risk Reduction and resilience that enable communities to prevent, mitigate and recover quickly from humanitarian crises. Donors should also look to emergent South Sudanese civil society as an important actor in providing humanitarian and development assistance that complements the programs of the state and private sector.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) donne aussi son analyse du terrain ::
« Des milliers de personnes ont fui Lekongole et Pibor la semaine dernière. A présent, ils se cachent en brousse et craignent pour leur vie », a déclaré Parthesarathy Rajendran, chef de mission de MSF au Soudan du Sud. « Ils ont fui à la hâte et n'ont ni eau ni nourriture, certains d'entre eux sont probablement blessés alors qu’ils sont isolés, loin de toute assistance humanitaire. »
Le village de Lekongole a été rasé et une équipe de MSF, qui a évalué la situation à Pibor le 28 Décembre, décrit une « ville fantôme », la population ayant fui dans la campagne environnante. Les habitants étant cachés en brousse, nous n’avons pas la possibilité de soigner les blessés, traiter les malades et fournir des soins de santé primaires. Plus ils resteront en brousse, plus la situation des blessés ou des malades va s’aggraver.
[…]
« Le Soudan du Sud est actuellement en proie à plusieurs situations d’urgence », ajoute Parthesarathy Rajendran. « Nos équipes médicales interviennent également auprès des réfugiés qui fuient le Soudan voisin. Tous ces événements nous rappellent concrètement que malgré l’indépendance, le Soudan du Sud reste dans une situation d’urgence aiguë où l’aide humanitaire d’urgence demeure une priorité absolue. »
Bill's Space commente [en anglais]:
It only seems a few months ago that we saw the creation of a new nation in Africa, with the arrival of Southern Sudan out of Sudan. But it seems that a new name and new existence does little to change the way things are in that part of the world. I’m seeing reports of more than 3000 people killed in South Sudan last week in ethnic violence, that forced thousands of others to flee – although ‘fleeing’ seems to what the people in part of the original Sudan have been doing for decades – these kind of mass killings or massacres seem able to be perpetuated despite the presence of United Nations personnel, South Sudanese army,. etc With the report that this is the worst outbreak of ethnic violence in the new nation since it split from Sudan in July, seems to be the indication that such violence is an ongoing activity […].
D’autres se montrent plus cynique à propos de l’objectif affiché de la communauté international en matière d’aide au Sud-Soudan. The Impudent Observer (l’Impétueux Observateur) a écrit un article satirique, Death in Sudan, Who Cares? (Mort au Soudan, qui s’en préoccupe ?), qui ridiculise les Etats-Unis en particulier :
This intrepid reporter asked prominent American political leaders for a reaction to this massacre of the innocent.
George Bush: ”The key thing is whether there are WMD in South Sudan that pose a threat to the security of America.”
Michele Bachmann: ”South Sudan? Is that near New Orleans?”
Herman Cain: ”I wonder if anyone there would be interested in a fabulous pizza deal.”
Ron Santorum: ”I urge those unfortunate people to pray to God”
Mitt Romney: ”America sends its condolences to all who are persecuted. I will inform Mormon headquarters so they can send some missionaries.”
Newt Gingrich: ”If South Sudan leaders would contact me, I have some interesting ideas that might help them and my organization offers a beginning of year discount.”
Barack Obama: ”We are leaving troubled areas, not going in.”
Pour connaître les dernières informations sur la situation au Sud-Soudan, PannLuel Wël, basé à Washington, poste sur le blog PannLuel Wël: South Sudanese Blogger, ainsi que via son Twitter @PaanLuelWel2011