November 9, 2010 BOSTON GLOBE OP-ED BY MICHAEL ABRAMOWITZ AND
ANDREW NATSIOS Peace in Sudan’s reach: Independence of the South
relies on vigilance by international community Juba, the dusty
capital of southern Sudan has enjoyed an economic boom over the
past five years, with population surging, newly paved roads
crowded with traffic, new government ministries, new hotels, and
new electric lines rising up amid continuing poverty and
underdevelopment in rural areas. But all this would be in danger
if the Sudanese government in Khartoum does not allow this
region to secede peacefully and become the world’s newest nation
next year. Armed conflict would be very bloody for massive
numbers of people, especially those members of ethnic groups,
the Dinka, Nuer, Nuba, and Funj, that have been previously
targeted by the regime. War in Sudan has always been fought on
the backs of civilians. More than 2 million Southerners died
during the long civil war that ended in 2005. At least another
200,000 Darfuris were casualties