Sudan: Eighteen months after the CPA

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies examines the state of Sudan eighteen months after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) on 5 January 2005. It analyzes the fragility of the alliance between the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudanese Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM), the impact of Dr. John Garang's death on the 'New Sudan' vision, and the critical challenges regarding the demarcation of the Abyei boundary. The document highlights how peripheral regions like Darfur and the Beja area continue to experience instability, threatening the overall implementation of the peace process.

• The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed on 5 January 2005, established a Government of National Unity (GoNU) and an autonomous interim Government of Southern Sudan, but its durability is tested by ongoing violence in Darfur and tensions in the Eastern Red Sea and Beja regions.
• The death of Dr. John Garang significantly hindered the 'New Sudan' project, which aimed to unite Sudanese people under a common citizenship regardless of ethnic or religious divides, and left the SPLM in a vulnerable position.
• The demarcation of the Abyei boundary is a primary obstacle to peace; the findings of the Abyei Boundary Commission (ABC), presented on 14 July 2005, were rejected by the Presidency and the Misseriya, who argued the report was a recommendation rather than binding.
• The CPA includes a specific wealth-sharing protocol for the oil-rich Abyei region during the interim period, allocating 50 percent of revenues to the Government of Sudan, 42 percent to the Government of Southern Sudan, and 2 percent each to Bahr el-Ghazal, Western Kordofan, and the local Ngok Dinka and Misseriya.
• The SPLM has identified several security-related gains in the CPA implementation, including the establishment of the UN Peace Support Mission (UNMIS), the formation of the Joint Defence Board (JDB), and the signing of the Juba Declaration incorporating major Other Armed Groups (OAGs).
• The National Congress Party (NCP) has seen a shift in its internal power structure, with President Bashir's inner circle increasingly dominated by security and petroleum sector figures, such as Salah Abdallah Gosh and Dr. Nafie Ali Nafie, over previous ideological leaders.
• In Southern Sudan, the disarmament process in Jonglei and Upper Nile has increased tensions between the SPLA and groups such as the Lou Nuer/SSDF, while the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) faces challenges regarding corruption and the capacity to manage oil wealth.

APA

Jooma, M. B. (2006). Sudan: Eighteen months after the CPA. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/200607SUDANSITREP.PDF

Chicago

Jooma, Mariam Bibi. Sudan: Eighteen months after the CPA. Institute for Security Studies, 2006. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/200607SUDANSITREP.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jooma |first1=Mariam Bibi |title=Sudan: Eighteen months after the CPA |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=17 July 2006 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/200607SUDANSITREP.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jooma2006sudan, author = {Jooma, Mariam Bibi}, title = {{Sudan: Eighteen months after the CPA}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2006}, month = jul, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/200607SUDANSITREP.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }