Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations
Chair: Dante Langrica 4020
Moderators: Eugenia de la Fuente 6010 & José Estrada 4010
Topic A: The Creation of the Republic of South Sudan; a Threat to Peace Stability.
In January 2011, South Sudan held a referendum to decide between unity or independence from the central government of Sudan called by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the country’s decades-long civil armed conflict. According to the South Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC), 98% of the vote’s casts were in favor of separation. In February 2011, Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir officially accepted the referendum result, as did the United Nations, African and European Union, The United States, and other countries. On July 2011, South Sudan officially declared its independence.
The challenges are formidable. South Sudan has achieved its independence, but it has not secured its future. First and foremost, Sudan and South Sudan must resolve outstanding issues between them.
On December15, 2013, violence broke out in South Sudan’s capital Juba and quickly spread to other locations in the country resulting in deep nation-wide political and security crisis. Seven out of the country’s ten states were affected by the conflict with Central Equatoria, Jonglei, Lakes, Unity and Upper Nile states being the hardest hit.
In addition, a few days into the crisis, the relationship between the Government and UNMISS started to grow increasingly tense, amid mounting anti-United Nations sentiment emanating from misperceptions about the Mission’s role during the crisis. There were unfounded allegations that UNMISS was not impartial and that the Mission was aiding and abetting the anti-government forces. The senior officials of the Government made hostile public statements. The ability of UNMISS to move freely was increasingly obstructed. Demonstrations against the United Nations were organized in several state capitals, including Rumbek (Lakes State) and Aweil (Northern Bahr el Ghazal State).
Useful links:
http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/unmiss/background.shtml
http://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R41900.pdf
http://www.state.gov/p/af/rls/rm/2011/168925.htm
Topic B: Democratic Republic of Congo and its Civilians peacekeeping challenge
In 1999 the ceasefire agreement of Lusaka tells the end of violence, it was between Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Namibia, Uganda, Rwanda and Zimbabwe Continued violence in North Kivu where they began to threaten the overall stability and development of the Great Lakes region, it was then that the peace agreement was signed (by eleven countries) on 24 February 2013: "Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework”. It is important that not only governments but a wide cross section of the population in each country parliamentarians, women’s groups, human rights organizations, young people, business groups, trade unions, faith based organizations, academics and others know the details of this Framework of Hope. The Framework also calls for the establishment of a regional oversight mechanism involving the eleven countries and the leaders of four international organisations. Signatories agreed to jointly develop a plan of implementation for the Framework, which includes the establishment of benchmarks and follow-up measures to deliver on commitments made under the Framework.
The July 30, 2006 where the first free and fair elections. Since 1999 to 2014 the UN has been passing resolutions for different purposes (protection of civilians, security improvements, alterations, etc.)
Useful links:
http://www.betterworldcampaign.org/un-peacekeeping/missions/democratic-republic-of-congo.html