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Theoretical Framework Essay Amongst the continued violence between Sudan government’s Army and Minnawi’s SLM/A, Minni Arcua Minnawi, was sworn as the senior assistant to Sudan’s President Omar Al-Bashir. This appointment was a result of the agreement that was signed by the SLM/A and the government in the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA).   The Darfur Peace Agreement was signed on May 5, 2006 between the Sudan’s government and the various factions in the country that were involved in civil war since the last five decades. It would be worthwhile if we can go through the disturbing history of Sudan which has hardly known what peace is since its independence. â€Å" The Sudan Peace Process – A comparison of the Addis Abba Peace agreement of 1972 and the Comprehensive Peace agreement of 2005† by Sara Basha in March 2006 not only gives a comprehensive review of the violent past of the country but also compares the two most important peace agreements in the country that promised peace to its people. According to Sara Basha, the reason the tension started brewing in the country was the divided rule that the Britishers implemented. They had demarcated such a strong line between the north Sudan and South Sudan that people no more got along each other. The Britisher’s deliberate emphasis on the North in terms of governance, business and appreciation led to its growth as more developed and rich when compared to south. In fact, at the time of independence, there was only one school in the whole of south Sudan. Over time, religion and ethnic differences also contributed to the conflict thereby making it a North Arabs vs. South Christians war. Sara Basha’s review gives a clear outline of the two civil wars that was fought in the country. The first civil war broke out immediately after independence, i.e., from 1955 and it lasted till 1972 when the Addis Abba Peace Agreement was signed. There was period of ten years of null when the people of Sudan first tasted peace. The agreement was signed under the rule of General Jaffer Nemeiri who was quite instrumental and influential in Sudan’s political history. It was due to his compliance and non-compliance of the agreement that failed the whole peace process. The first civil war, as Sara Basha reveals, was fought for South Sudan’s autonomy from the oppressive North. The Addis Abba Agreement sought to address that issue and South Sudan was given regional autonomous powers. Peace, according to Sara, was brought in to the picture when both the parties dutifully observed the conditions in the agreement. However, from 1977, hitherto peace-engaging ruler, Nemeiri started Islamization of the whole country and in 1983, imposed some new decrees and division of the south Sudan into three provinces without even consulting the regional heads of the South. That proved the last straw and the second civil war broke out which lasted for twenty one painful years. As Sara mentioned, this time the reason cited was not autonomy but a â€Å"New Sudan†. The faction fighting wanted a united Sudan that would ensure a fresh beginning to the nation.   The war ended in 2005 when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed between the Government and SLM/A. This historical agreement was signed in January 2005. The review states the various provisions in the agreement that can work wonders if they were followed strictly. The review also questions how effective this peace process can be. Provided the non-compliance of the conditions in the previous peace agreement by the Government, the review does seem a bit pessimistic about the outcome of the process. It specially mentions the not-so-enthusiastic face the government has managed to put forth about the power sharing between the rebel factions and it. Moreover, the transition of the SLM/A from a rebel faction to a governing body was also under question. The current study seeks to fill this gap and gives the situation post-2005 when the implementation of CPA started. The Sara Basha’s review had come up with a hypothesis that the CPA can bring lasting peace in the country if both the sides adhere to it. The current study gives further credence to this hypothesis as it clearly explains the steps taken by the Sudanese government to implement the provisions. The election of Minnawi in the cabinet, the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), the efforts to resolve problems with the Eastern Front give weight to the whole peace process. There are, however, continued reports of deteriorating situation in the country where the human rights have been violated unabashedly. This partly answers the various questions and hypothesis raised by Sara Basha’s review. Though the current review does not explicitly state that the peace process would be a failure, the unabated violence in the country definitely leaves much to be desired. The current review cleared lot of gaps that Sara Basha’s review sought in future reviews. One of the main issues was the Darfur conflict and others that it could not cover. The current review not only covers that but also gives insights in to the latest developments in the issue. And the latest development doesn’t yet give promise of the lasting peace that Sara Basha’s review wished for.       References Basha, Sara. 2006. Sudan Peace Process: A comparison of Addis Abba Peace Agreement of 1972 and the comprehensive peace agreement of 2005. Online. Available from internet, http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/politics/depnews/ProposalPresentations/2006/Proposal%20Basha%20S%2017mar06.doc