Editorial :ROSS in its First Independence Anniversary

The Republic of South Sudan will celebrate today its first independence anniversary after it seceded from Sudan through a referendum where southerners overwhelmingly voted in favour of secession contrary to what was expected in the CPA as the two parties agreed to make unity option more attractive than secession.
However, the secession became a reality and a new-born state was established in the south with the blessing of the north hoping that this could become an approach for cooperation and exchange of interests besides exchanged respect between two counties in one nation.
It is definite that secession has disappointed the advocates of the voluntary unity; but at the same time the post-independence consequences disappointed the advocates of peace, stability and cooperation.
As a matter of fact, the fundamental justification for granting self-determination to the south was voluntary unity or peaceful secession based on the motto (peaceful secession is better than unity with war).
It is unfortunate that the final outcome was reaching the worst available options (secession and war jointly!).
Notwithstanding, we hereby extend our congratulations to the Republic of South Sudan and at the same time we express our regret and disappointment towards the deteriorated relations between the two Sudans.
We were hoping that the new reality after secession will lead to growing the feeling of the necessity to open a new chapter, but the pre-secession practices dictated the continuation of the confrontational approach in the pre-secession era.
Such confrontational approach will never lead to peace or stability.
We wish stable, secure, and productive living condition for South Sudan.
We aspire to a healthy relation to continue the deep-rooted legacy to provide a new reality on which we can establish fruitful future based on cooperation and joint action.
The South Sudan independence anniversary should become an occasion for an honest stance to find an answer to the hinge questions: Till when the current destructive confrontation will continue? Till when will the people suffer from the unjustifiable conflicts?
Again we congratulate South Sudan people on the occasion of their independence, but we still feel that the two countries must find answers to the above questions and inspire the positive aspect on the relations which was about to be lost due the conflict heating up.