Courtney Klima
Waterford Union High School
Sudan – Third Main Committee
Sudan’s Position on the Elimination of All Forms of Religious Intolerance
Since independence in 1956, Sudan has had two civil wars between the mostly
Arab Muslim North and the black Christian and animist South. In 1972, the first civil
war ended, and fighting broke out again in 1983. These civil wars officially ended in
January 2005 with the signing of the North/South Comprehensive Peace Agreement,
which gives southern Sudan autonomy for 6 years, and in 2011, a vote will determine if
the country is split. This fighting is completely separate from the genocide in Darfur,
which is also based on religion. Now, all residents of northern Sudan must follow
Islamic law regardless of their religion while southern Sudanese states are currently
developing a legal system not based on religion. Sudan does not believe the UN can
interfere with a country’s legal system the UN Charter protects a nation’s sovereignty and
prevents other nations from dictating a nation’s constitution. People who violate the laws
must be punished, and the UN cannot force nations to change their legal systems. Those
who do not agree with northern Islamic laws can move to the southern states or
peacefully abide by the law. Certainly, those citizens who follow the law should not be
killed simply for what they believe, and UN peacekeeping efforts help reduce the
violence. Demonstrating Sudan understands that the violence must stop, President alBashir himself recently called for a complete ceasefire and disarmament of rogue forces
in Darfur. Sudan believes in reducing violence while maintaining current national laws.
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement includes protection for human rights and
religious freedoms, changes to the Constitution, but change occurs slowly since the north
does little to enforce the new changes or create new institutions. Creating new laws is a
wonderful symbolic gesture, but the attitudes of the people must first change. Even if the
UN were to violate Sudan’s sovereignty and demand further change, new laws will not
necessarily be enforced, and many will only be encouraged to further rebel. Pressuring
Sudan to change its laws only leads to more words in the constitution, not necessarily real
change. Awareness campaigns encouraging peace and discussing the peace agreement’s
provisions could help transform public opinion. Sudan opposes economic sanctions since
half of the country does not demonstrate what the rest of the world considers violations of
religious freedom. The UN would not want to further injure people struggling to develop
a new government, build infrastructure, and recover from 20 years of war. Sanctioning
half a country does not work.