VOA标准英语2009年-As Year Closes, Sudan Peace Deal Faces

Alan Boswell | Nairobi 17 December 2009

 
Photo: AP
A woman from Misseriya tribe is building a thatched shelter in Goli, Sudan, during the annual migration¹ to the Abyei area, 19 Jan 2009

"We're in the end game of the CPA now, which is why we are getting this increased tension, because we have very little time left to implement² it - when you look at the legislation that has to be passed, but also when you look at the simple logistics."

In early December, crowds gathered outside the police station in Khartoum to protest the detention³ of senior Southern party officials. The South's ruling party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, had organized a political rally with Northern opposition⁴ groups. Khartoum authorities beat the demonstrators back, declaring the protest "illegal".

Offices of the North's ruling National Congress Party were attacked across parts of the South.  Southern civil society and religious groups soon issued statements expressing concern that the peace was beginning to crumble⁵.  Observers feared the incident was a turning point in the deterioration⁶ of relations between the peace partners.

One week later, the two parties announced what was arguably their most important breakthrough of the year - reaching a compromise on the details of the upcoming Southern independence referendum. The deadlocked⁷ talks about this prized self-determination right for the South had been at the heart of rising tensions between the two sides for months.
The week's events highlighted the innate⁸ fragility of the North-South peace, but the referendum deal also gave hope that the path to peaceful co-existence has yet to be fully⁹ abandoned by either side.

This past year has seen frequent heated exchanges between the two peace partners, with the NCP accusing the South of not being committed to giving national unity¹⁰ a chance and the SPLM alleging¹¹ the NCP of acting¹² in bad faith towards the agreement.

NCP official Rabi Abdulaati told VOA that any accusation¹³ that the NCP was seeking to undermine the peace deal was false.

"The National Congress Party is fully committed to implement the CP, and it is fully committed also to abide¹⁴ by the mechanisms¹⁵ for resolution of any conflict between the two parties regarding any pending¹⁶ points," he said.

However, in an interview in the Southern capital, Juba, the head of SPLM's Southern office, Anne Itto, said that the manner in which negotiations¹⁷ have been stalled and the timetable of the CPA pushed back shows that NCP is not acting as a committed peace partner.

"If you follow the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, this [referendum] law should have been out over a year ago.  And, indeed we started negotiating, trying to get the bill ready for the parliament, before a year ago. It took us a very very long time," she said.

The delayed pace in implementing¹⁸ the peace deal was evidenced in early April, as elections originally slated¹⁹ for July 2009 were pushed back to February 2010.  A little less than three months later, the elections were pushed back an additional two months, to April of this coming year.

 

 

But the year did see one critical flashpoint roll by peacefully.  In late July, the Permanent Court of Arbitration²⁰ at The Hague issued a compromise ruling about the disputed oil-rich border region, Abyei.  Although the tension in Abyei continues to simmer, feared clashes about a final ruling did not materialize, as both sides voiced acceptance for the verdict.

Looking back, Sudanese analyst²¹ John Ashworth says that, taken altogether, the previous year's developments have done little to bolster²² the peace.

"I wouldn't like to say there is no reason for hope - I think there is always reason for hope - but I would say there has not been much progress," he said.

The year ahead is fraught²³ with challenges.  The April elections are causing increased friction²⁴, as the SPLM publicly mulls an alliance with northern opposition groups against the NCP.  And, the Khartoum government appears to be digging in its heels against calls to reform security laws to allow a free and fair vote.

But analysts²⁵ say the elections, volatile²⁶ as they may be, are only a sideshow to the main act.  The Southern independence referendum is the key cornerstone of the CPA and the North is unlikely to let the oil-ladened South go without some intense negotiations.  These, too, are behind schedule.

Ashworth says that, at this point, any positive outcome in the next year will require the two parties to re-focus their energies on only the most crucial points of remaining contention²⁷.

"We're in the end game of the CPA now, which is why we are getting this increased tension, because we have very little time left to implement it - when you look at the legislation that has to be passed, but also when you look at the simple logistics.  In fact it's impossible to implement the entire CPA in the time given, so much is behind schedule," he added.

With the alternative of renewed war looming²⁸, most Sudanese hope that 2010 will prove the CPA has greater resilience than many expect.
 

1 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

2 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

3 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 crumble   

vi.碎裂，崩溃；vt.弄碎，摧毁

参考例句：

• Opposition more or less crumbled away.反对势力差不多都瓦解了。
• Even if the seas go dry and rocks crumble,my will will remain firm.纵然海枯石烂，意志永不动摇。

6 deterioration   

n.退化；恶化；变坏

参考例句：

• Mental and physical deterioration both occur naturally with age. 随着年龄的增长，心智和体力自然衰退。
• The car's bodywork was already showing signs of deterioration. 这辆车的车身已经显示出了劣化迹象。

7 deadlocked   

陷入僵局的；僵持不下的

参考例句：

• The plan deadlocked over the funds. 这个计划由于经费问题而搁浅了。
• The meeting deadlocked over the wage issue. 会议因工资问题而停顿下来。

8 innate   

adj.天生的，固有的，天赋的

参考例句：

• You obviously have an innate talent for music.你显然有天生的音乐才能。
• Correct ideas are not innate in the mind.人的正确思想不是自己头脑中固有的。

9 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

10 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

11 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。

12 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

13 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

14 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

15 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

17 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

18 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

19 slated   

用石板瓦盖( slate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Yuki is working up an in-home phonics program slated for Thursdays, and I'm drilling her on English conversation at dinnertime. Yuki每周四还有一次家庭语音课。我在晚餐时训练她的英语口语。
• Bromfield was slated to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. 布罗姆菲尔德被提名为美国农业部长。

20 arbitration   

n.调停，仲裁

参考例句：

• The wage disagreement is under arbitration.工资纠纷正在仲裁中。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding.双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

21 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

22 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

23 fraught   

adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的

参考例句：

• The coming months will be fraught with fateful decisions.未来数月将充满重大的决定。
• There's no need to look so fraught!用不着那么愁眉苦脸的！

24 friction   

n.摩擦，摩擦力

参考例句：

• When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后，他们之间的摩擦加剧了。
• Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体，并使其停止。

25 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

26 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

27 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

28 looming   

n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看，在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望