Khartoum and Juba,.. Co-existence is not impossible!

Tension in relations between Sudan and South Sudan is on the rise on a daily basis, causing one to lose any glimpse of hope of mending relations or dealing rationally when it comes to bilateral relations. These relations are prone to even more deterioration that threatens to turn the cold war into a hot war whose price will be paid by all. In view of the gravity of the current situation, we have been calling on both parties to realize that there is no alternative for cooperation and to shift from confrontation to interdependence and good neighborliness to realize the interests of the two peoples regardless of the positions of the two governments and the elite controlling decision making in Khartoum and Juba.

It is surprising that the issues that raised this raging dispute are the same issues that comprise the basic elements for joint cooperation if the two sides deal with these in a responsible and rational manner, however it seems that the whole crisis is represented in the positions of the ruling elites in the two countries.

By virtue of their location, history and geography, the border areas are areas of complementation where people's interests, movements and styles of life overlap for the purpose of joint cooperation. But these areas have now turned into battle arenas that adopt the policy of the burnt land in which proxy wars are practiced to lead to mutual suicide. If prudence and understanding prevail, each side will be qualified to assist the other in resolving its problems.

If the war in the two states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile continues, it will bring upon us more disasters as well as poison the relations between the two countries because of the Sudan's accusation of the South Sudan of supporting the war in these areas.

South Sudan is conversely accusing Sudan of supporting rebellion in the border states of Jonglei and the Unity, which instills the principle of proxy war that threatens the shift to direct war. These are areas of joint cooperation that have been unjustifiably converted into confrontation arenas by erroneous policies.

The current situation requires a new beginning that can be summed in shedding the bitterness of the past and acknowledging the new situation that established two neighboring states that have more common than dividing factors. Unless we fully recognize this fact and act accordingly, we will be exposing the two peoples to grave dangers. We therefore call for a popular drive in the two countries to pressure for drawing away from the edge of the precipice and dealing with the pending issues through a new approach that takes into account the humanitarian dimension and the right of peoples to live peace as well as to continue pushing for change in methods, strategies and policies in order to achieve sustainable peace.