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Monday, September 30, 2019, 14:28
Peaceful resolution required in S. Sudan
By Dennis Munene
Monday, September 30, 2019, 14:28 By Dennis Munene

China addresses African nation’s humanitarian crisis, but more can be done to resolve conflict

As China scales up bilateral relations with most African nations, including South Sudan, President Xi Jinping’s diplomatic approach is built on the precepts of peaceful development.

The pursuit of peaceful development is derived from such Chinese axioms as “a warlike state, however big it may be, will eventually perish”; “seek harmony without uniformity”; “bring prosperity to the nation and security to the people”; “peace is of paramount importance”; “replace weapons of war with gifts of jade and silk”; “foster friendship with neighbors”; and “achieve universal peace”.

Thus, as China continues to build its relationship with South Sudan, Beijing draws a comparison with the youngest nation in Africa, which gained formal independence from the larger Sudan in 2011 through a referendum, after more than 22 years of civil war. Its comparison is based on China’s own experience of economic transformation and rapid development after being ravaged by wars and foreign turmoil before the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

Historically, Beijing began its relations with Southern Sudan in the 1970s, when China decided to send the first medical team and agricultural experts to provide assistance there.

Thirty-five years later, the China-Southern Sudan relationship was still solid. This was evident in January 2005, when China was present during the signing of the comprehensive peace agreement that ended the civil war between the north and south of Sudan.

In a further push for the two countries’ bilateral relations, in February 2007, then Chinese president Hu Jintao made his first visit to Sudan and met in Khartoum with Sudanese first vice-president Salva Kiir Mayardit. Later, Kiir, as president of the southern independent government, visited China in March 2005 and July 2007.

In September 2008, China opened its consulate general in Juba. After the secession referendum, which was overwhelmingly supported by the population, China became one of the international states that recognized the results.

In July 2011, Jiang Weixin, then China’s minister of housing and urban-rural development, attended South Sudan independence celebrations as China’s representative. On behalf of the Chinese government, Jiang signed the Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the two countries with South Sudan Foreign Minister Deng Alor Kuol. This signified the establishment of China’s official diplomatic relations with South Sudan.

However, despite the solid bilateral relations between China and South Sudan, the youngest African independent nation is still lagging behind in terms of development. The country is rich in oil but still needs modern infrastructure.

Furthermore, South Sudan is also experiencing a humanitarian crisis. In December 2013, civil war broke out after President Kiir sacked his Cabinet and accused former vice-president Riek Machar of planning a coup. The civil conflict was fought broadly between the country’s biggest ethnic groups — the Dinka, led by President Kiir, and the Nuer, under Machar.

In a joint news release by officials of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, UNICEF and the World Food Programme, South Sudan was classified as one of the countries most affected by humanitarian crisis. In their report, the UN agencies indicated that approximately 100,000 South Sudanese are facing starvation.

In response to the humanitarian crisis, China has recently signed two key technical cooperation deals with South Sudan that will involve Beijing constructing 47 boreholes and sending technical experts to offer guidance on project equipment in the newly constructed Kiir Mayardit hospital in the central Rumbek area.

Hua Ning, Chinese ambassador to South Sudan, said these projects will enable millions of South Sudanese have to access to clean water and medical services amid a peace deal that is largely holding.

In regard to internal conflict in South Sudan, China can and should do more to ensure peaceful resolution, without compromising its interests or traditional adherence to the principle of noninterference.

The author is a senior policy adviser at the Africa Policy Institute. 

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.


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