Southern Sudan’s baptism in blood

The people of Southern Sudan ought to be celebrating on July 9 the culmination of their hard-won, long-fought and often extremely violent struggle for autonomy and respect on their own soil. On that day, the oil-rich but development-and-infrastructure-poor south is to break free from the oppressive yoke of Khartoum and officially declare itself as the world’s newest nation: The Republic of Southern Sudan. It ought to be a happy and optimistic time in a region that has had little reason for hope and few moments of sustained peace since Sudan, Africa’s largest country, gained independence in 1956.   But disturbing developments along Sudan’s contested, militarized and resource-laden north-south border look set to undermine the elation of independence.  Throughout last month, aggressive military actions of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the northern army, severely undermined internationally-backed negotiations between Juba and Khartoum to forge a peaceful and cooperative relationship between the two Sudans