Editorial: Happiness is our greatest opportunity

“We are happy. That is already a big difference.”

So said a young waiter at a restaurant in Yei, southern Sudan, in January, a few days after the peace agreement ended the 21 year long civil war.

Peace had finally come to the land, it was time to celebrate, and to reconstruct. In one of the world’s poorest countries the needs are enormous.

In April, the international donors met with the Sudanese authorities in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, to outline the future support to reconstruction and development in the Sudan.

The total pledge worth 4.5 billion US dollar was a positive surprise to many. The amount can secure lots of long awaited for improvements and changes. We can do it. And we need to do it now.

The donors, with the financially leading US in the forefront, now demands of the Khartoum government that the crisis in the western Darfur region be resolved, before the reconstruction of southern Sudan can begin.

The UN categorises the situation in Darfur as the worlds’ biggest humanitarian catastrophe. It is terrible, and it should be stopped.

But linking the conflict in the western region so closely to the peace end reconstruction needs in the southern part of the country is inappropriate and unfortunate. Not only because it leaves the southerners to wait even longer before the good times can begin. But also because by putting southern development on ‘pause’, we may lose out on the unique opportunity of hearing a voice for peace and development grow strong and loud.

MS supports and advocates for such a voice. The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has just granted us more than one million dollars to enhance and extend our activities in southern Sudan in the areas of democratisation, peace building, and participatory development. We believe, that by doing so, we can not only help ensure lasting and just peace in the south. We can also help the Sudanese voice for peace and development reach far and wide. To Darfur, Khartoum, and other areas of the vast country, where better times are much needed.

The chance is there, now. Let’s not waste it.

Ulla Strøbech
Director, MS Uganda