Stabilisation of South Sudan Conflict

South Sudan should be a country full of hope eight years after gaining independence. Instead, it is in the grip of a massive conflict. The protracted conflict in Sudan is complex and involved multiple factors at various levels. It arose when South Sudan overwhelmingly voted to break away from Sudan. The army has split and there have been clashes around the country. Conflicts in this region are not just a product of the power of the states but are also a result of the weakness of the states in managing two critical transitions: the transition from the colonial to the independent state in the early sixties and the transition from authoritarian/undemocratic regimes to democratic change in the early nineties.

Political conflict, compounded by economic woes and drought, has caused massive displacement, raging violence and dire food shortages. Over 7 million people — about two thirds of the population — are in need of aid, including around 6.9 million people experiencing hunger. 6 out of 10 South Sudanese refugees are children. The ongoing conflict and insecurity have pushed millions to the brink of starvation for years. In 2017, famine was declared in two counties in South Sudan, and famine has remained a persistent threat since. Without peace and consistent humanitarian access, another famine this year would not be surprising.

Thailand has sent 273 peacekeepers to South Sudan under the auspices of the United Nations where they will spend the next year preventing violence, protecting the vulnerable, delivering first aid, and rebuilding shattered infrastructure. The Kingdom of Thailand has been contributing troops and personnel to U.N. peacekeeping operations since 1985 when it sent an observer group to Lebanon. Since then, Thai peacekeepers have participated in peacekeeping missions in Iraq, Timor-Leste, Burundi, Nepal, Haiti, Liberia, Kashmir, and several other countries. Peacekeeping epitomizes Thailand’s foreign policy and vision of maintaining friendly relations with all nations and working to build and support regional and global security. That vision and policy have been constant through every Thai government administration. Thailand has even sent road engineers to work on repairing the all-weather marram road. The Thai–Africa Initiative was organized to boost engagement beyond the country’s immediate neighbourhood in the Asian region. “Thailand wishes to reconfirm its intention to elevate partnership with the African countries,” as indicated by the Thai minister of foreign affairs (Don Pramudwinai). Thai diplomacy has been expanding its official presence in Africa in the form of embassies and honorary consulates. Thailand has always had confidence in Africa and knows that with the right guidance it will prosper as a nation.

In order to help Sudan reverse its years of economic woes, drought and famines. We must strengthen the cooperation in agreed fields that would lead to equitable development within the partner States and which would in turn raise the standard of living and improve the quality of life in the African population. Strengthening of the long-standing political, economic, social, cultural and traditional ties and associations between the peoples of the partner States so as to promote a people-centred mutual development must also take place. The United Nations must come together to solve East Africa’s economic instability. When we turn to each other for help, we reduce the number of our enemies.