Southern Sudan: unity or separation - oil-rich or human rights-rich?

As the Southern Sudanese now vote for separation or unity from northern Sudan, this is not for the first time in the lives. They once, even at a young age, had to make the decision whether to flee (separate from their families) or to be united which often meant remaining in Southern Sudan during the conflict.

As the world focused on the lost boys of Sudan – those that walked for days and months and for many miles to reach freedom – not knowing what their future would hold – there was less, much less, focus on the families that remained.

Families remaining during the war faced incredible hardship and constant tension, never knowing when conflict might return. Food was scarce, conditions were below standard, schools were closed (or those that were open were often too far to attend), and health equipment and medicines were in scarce supply. In remote areas, whole villages were razed to the ground and had to be re-built, even in a temporary way. When I travelled to remote areas, I saw families sheltered under trees with just tarpaulins to keep off the sun. They had few possessions and food.

As lost boys and the Diaspora return to Southern Sudan to vote and live, the families that remained will house, accommodate and support their brothers in this time of peace, hope and aspirations for the future of their nation. Some spoke to me that sometimes they feel bitterness at the Diaspora who fled but were provided with more opportunities than the families that stayed – many of those that fled, especially if they travelled to countries such as Canada and America, received education and a new life. I witnessed tensions (from 2005 and 2009) between individuals that fled and those that didn’t – those that had opportunities and those that didn’t.

In the euphoria of the potential for a new country, many of the tensions (between individuals, tribes, and with the north) will be forgotten as freedom is in sight. But once voting is closed, and if a new country becomes a reality, will the government be able to support the expectations of all citizens – social services, infrastructure, democracy, peace and security, trade and economic growth? Will the potential oil-rich government be able to distribute the wealth to improve literacy and education, health and living conditions so that all citizens in the new country become services-rich and human rights-rich?

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