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Sudan: Challenges Ahead

An internationally brokered peace treaty in 2005 ended decades of civil war between the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum and the black African southern region. The accord called for national elections, now set for this April, and for a referendum in the south, next January, on secession. At issue are some of the world's richest oil reserves, which straddle the border between north and south and the dividing line between Muslim and non-Muslim regions of the continent.

The international community has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Sudan over the past decade, brokering the north-south peace treaty and dispatching one of the largest United Nations peacekeeping forces. Results have been mixed at best, in controlling violence in the Sudan's Darfur region and also in promoting north/south reconciliation for the country as a whole. A further complication has been the indictment on war-crimes charges of Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, and the refusal of most African countries to join in bringing Bashir to justice.

The Pulitzer Center is collaborating with PBS NewsHour and other news outlets to focus sustained public attention on Sudan, amid increasing concern about renewed north-south war. These reports assess efforts to limit elections-related violence, examine regional flashpoints, and investigate the role of international organizations and the United Nations. The reports also address more immediate challenges, among them a renewed threat of hunger in some of the poorest, most isolated sectors of southern Sudan.

Sudan Heads Toward Historic But Shaky Vote

Sudan's first multi-party presidential and parliamentary elections in 24 years are set for April 11, but with just days to go, the main opposition presidential candidate has withdrawn from the race, throwing the legitimacy of the election into question.

The elections are mandated under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which ended two decades of civil war between the primarily Muslim and Arab-speaking north and rebels in the south. Another requirement of the CPA is a referendum in January 2011 in which the south will decide whether to split from the north.

Sudan: Embattled Nation Faces Crucial Votes

The people of Sudan have two important votes approaching: national elections next month in which they will decide whether President Omar al-Bashir should stay or go, and a referendum in early 2011 in which the south will choose whether to split from the north.

Children in Sudan Rely on Field Hospital for Food

In February, NewsHour special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro and producer Nicole See visited a Doctors Without Borders hospital in a remote part of southern Sudan, where patients often walk for miles to get treatment. NewsHour correspondent Larisa Epatko reports on Fred and Nicole's trip.

Africa Analyst: Elections 'Tall Task' in Sudan

As presidential elections and a vote on north-south succession approach, Zach Vertin of the International Crisis Group sat down with NewsHour special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro in Sudan to discuss the challenges the country still faces. NewsHour correspondent Larisa Epatko reports on their meeting.