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Soldiers of South Sudan's SPLA

army: The two Sudans are close to

igniting a civil war and it may be time

for the U.S. or China to step in as

peacemaker. Photo:

REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic

http://theweek.com/article/index/227328/3-ways-to-defuse-the-deadly-sudan-conflict

WORLD OPINION

3 ways to defuse the deadly Sudan conflictTensions continue to flare along the disputed oil-rich border dividing Sudan andSouth Sudan. What will it take to avoid an immensely painful civil war?

PUBLISHED APRIL 27, 2012, AT 10:44 AM

Sudan and South Sudan continued inching closer to all-

out war on Thursday, as the longtime rivals traded

accusations designed to paint each other as the

aggressor. South Sudan said its northern neighbor had

bombed a village in the oil-rich Unity state along the

two nations' contested border. In response, Khartoumaccused South Sudan of beating captured soldiers. Can

anything stop the sister nations from renewing a civil

war that killed two million people over two decades?

Here, three crucial steps to restore peace:

1. The U.S. must stand by South Sudan

It would be a mistake to treat both sides equally, as

Sudan is the true aggressor, says Jendayi Frazer at the

Council on Foreign Relations. South Sudan has nomeans to defend itself from the north's constant

bombing. "We need to give [South Sudan] a security

blanket," and tell the north, "If you mess with the South,

you mess with the United States." That's the only way

to stop the fighting long enough to get both sides back

to the negotiating table to settle disputes over border

lines and sharing oil revenue that should have been

resolved before South Sudan seceded last year.

2. China has to step up, too

China, the biggest oil customer at Port Sudan, is in a unique position to play peacemaker, says

Daniel Howden at Britain's The Independent. During the 20-year Sudanese civil war, China acted

like a "comic book villain," protecting its commercial interests by blocking any attempt by the

United Nations Security Council to punish the Sudanese regime for "war crimes against its own

population." The Sudanese divorce "has divided that oil between two countries," so now China has

a stake in restoring peace. If Beijing commits itself, it can surely help get both sides to work out

their differences.

3. The world should pay Sudan for peace

The South's secession was a bitter pill for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to swallow, says

Mark Tran at Britain's Guardian. South Sudan got two-thirds of Sudanese oil reserves, and "the

loss of oil revenues has left Khartoum with a financial black hole of about $7 billion." That's why

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diplomats are floating a "grand plan" to make up for the shortfall through a mix of belt-tightening in

Khartoum, cash from China and Gulf states, and higher fees for transferring oil from landlocked

South Sudan to Sudan's port. Really, the world ought to just pay off Sudan: "$7 billion to buy

peace looks like a bargain."