The Addis Ababa Agreement, also known as the Agreement of Unity, is an important peace agreement that was signed in 1972 between the government of Sudan and the Sudanese People`s Liberation Movement (SPLM). This agreement helped to end the First Sudanese Civil War, which had been raging for nearly 17 years and caused the deaths of an estimated 500,000 people.
The agreement was signed in the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, hence its name. Its goal was to address the root causes of the conflict, which had its origins in political and economic disparities between the largely Muslim and Arabic-speaking north of Sudan and the predominantly non-Arabic speaking and Christian or animist south.
The Addis Ababa Agreement recognized the right of self-determination for the people of southern Sudan and granted them a degree of autonomy. It also provided for the sharing of power and resources between the north and south and established a joint integrated military force.
However, the implementation of the agreement was fraught with difficulties, and its promises were not fully realized. The northern government failed to fully honor the agreement and continued to marginalize southern Sudan politically and economically.
This dissatisfaction led to the Second Sudanese Civil War, which began in 1983 and lasted for over two decades. The conflict was finally resolved in 2005 with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which built upon the Addis Ababa Agreement but provided for even greater autonomy and power-sharing between the north and south.
In conclusion, the Addis Ababa Agreement was a significant step towards peace in Sudan, but its implementation fell short. Nonetheless, it paved the way for future negotiations and ultimately helped to bring about the end of decades of violence and suffering in Sudan.