David Widgington’s excellent South Sudan Info.net looks at post-conflict South Sudan, and questions like:

“What happens after peace agreements are signed and opposing armies retreat to their barracks? When do refugees return home, how do they make the journey and to where do they return after a lengthy absence? How are rebel armies disarmed, demobilized and reintegrated into civilian life? What is the role of the ‘international community’ in helping implement the peace agreement? How does a rebel movement make the transition to official government of a semi-autonomous region the size of France?”

Like many post-conflict states South Sudan attracts no international media attention despite the fragile peace and the many problems faced by its people.

January 9, 2010 marked the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and the southern rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM). The CPA ended 21 years of civil war, however, there remains the very real possibility that Southern Sudan could once again slip back into conflict.

Personally speaking one of the things I liked most about David’s excellent site were the videos of Rose Achan Beryl and Alberto Kuol Kuol Makuach, two workers for the IOM who reflect on their experiences of the war and their hopes for the future of the South Sudan. It’s nice to hear the voices of people often ignored by international media and debate.

Video Portrait #1 from Southern Sudan: Rose Achan Beryl from David Widgington on Vimeo.

Video Portrait From Southern Sudan #2: Alberto Kuol Kuol Makuach from widge on Vimeo.

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A CBS 60 minutes special (with extra web content ) on gold and conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo follows the minerals from the illegal mines in the eastern part of the country to the wholesale market in neighbouring Kampala, Uganda where they make their way onto the global market.

John Prendergast from the Enough project explains more about conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

More multimedia slideshows on the ongoing problem of resource exploitation in the Democratic Republic of Congo from the Enough project and suggestions about possible courses of action to stop the trade.

The Curse of Gold is a comprehensive Human Rights Watch report on gold in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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