One year ago, South Sudan separated from the rest of Sudan and became an independent country, completing part of the process laid out in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Regrettably, the optimism of that day has not yet translated into progress or prosperity for either country. The two Sudans now find themselves suffering from the effects of a war mentality and deep mistrust.  

The remaining part of Sudan continues to be locked in a cycle of conflict fueled by a lost sense of identity, poor governance, and growing economic problems. The decision by South Sudan to stop exporting oil through Sudan, brought about by concerns that Khartoum was seizing its national patrimony, has led to a dire humanitarian and economic situation in the south itself. And on the border of the two countries, civilian populations in the states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile suffer from an armed conflict, which is causing a humanitarian emergency—leading to malnutrition, starvation, and hundreds of thousands of internally displaced and refugees.  

We must do better. The African Union, the U.N. Security Council, and the United States—working with China and likeminded states—must not waste the investment that the international community has made in preventing the loss of life that has so tragically followed Sudan through so much of its history. Humanity United, along with more than 150 civil society organizations, ask the parties themselves and the international community to choose peace, find negotiated and comprehensive solutions to the problems in both Sudans, and ensure that innocent civilians do not lose their lives in the midst of this turmoil.

Read the Announcement