Sudan referendum faces new challenges while Darfur violence rises

Voter registration in South Sudan has concluded and less than a month remains before the momentous vote. In the latest Sudan Peace Watch, find a summary of the major political and security developments in Sudan from the last three weeks. Here are the highlights:

More challenges to come in the referendum planning process: As the successful registration process begins winding down, new threats to the referendum timeline and to peace more generally, begin to emerge.

Still no deal on Abyei: The two parties accept the impossibility of holding a referendum in Abyei on Jan. 9 and begin discussing various internationally-proposed options for the region.

Minor progress on post-referendum negotiations: Mbeki announces the indefinite suspension of post-referendum talks this week, but the parties reach a minor agreement on oil.

Prospects for a sustainable peace deal in the near future dwindle for Darfur: Violence continues to plague the regionas the various rebel groups pose new challenges to the government in both Doha and Darfur.

Read on here.

We’ll release a new Sudan Peace Watch once every two weeks or so and publish them on the Sudan page of our website. We’ll also post a synopsis on Enough Said on the day a new edition comes out.

– The Enough Project blogs at Enough Said.