The single market in the evolving European economic crisis: the role of Wales

Pic: Alicia Villegas

The economic crisis has prompted an urgent need to increase Welsh competitiveness within the European single market to achieve growth.

Eluned, Baroness Morgan, former MEP and honorary distinguished Professor at Cardiff University, yesterday warned to the Welsh business community to face up to the current economic climate.
The single market seems to work better in other areas than in Wales but, for Eluned, Baroness Morgan, the issue is not the EU lack of support but a Welsh problem.

“In Wales we have three cases of top level EU funding and we are going backwards,” she said. “I am not sure where is the problem of the lack of growth, I am trying to work out what are we doing wrong, because whatever we are doing at the moment is not working,” she added.

Eluned, Baronness Morgan, who is now employed by Swalec, a company that is keen to look at opportunities for closer collaboration in innovation and research and development in Wales, said also that the Welsh business community should look into trade within the EU, as 15 per cent of Welsh trading good are in the European market.

“People speak about the importance of reaching out to countries like Brazil, Russia, India or China, which are all there with huge potential, but the fact is that Welsh businesses have more trade in Ireland that they do with all of this countries together,” she said.

During a roundtable at Cardiff University in which the future of the European single market in the light of the global financial and economic crisis was discussed, Eluned, Baroness Morgan explained that, at the time of the creation of the single market within the UE, the Welsh business community was very supportive of it.
“The single market in Welsh economy is key because a lot of investment came into Wales, attracting Japanese and Korean investors,” she said and, referring to the trading opportunities within the UE, she added: “I think it is fair to say that the opportunities offered to Welsh business are immense because of this market of 500 million people.”

The single market can offer benefits, but also some challenges and, with the current economic crisis, these ones are even more demanding.

“We are living in a global market where competition is fierce, facing the particular challenge that we have an aging population, so unless we are going to act together, we will not be able to pay for our older population, which could lead to a social crisis,” she explained.

Apart from the higher competition within the single market, there are other challenges that need to be addressed. Michelle Cini, European Politics professor from Bristol University, pointed out that gaps in legislation within the single market were a problem.

“Where the gaps are, tend to be the most controversial areas and the most difficult areas to legislate,” she said.

Ms Cini said that the businesses complained about the lack of legislation. Also the dynamic within the single market was another important issue that must be addressed, along with the lack of public confidence in the single market to deliver growth.

“It seems to be a tendency, at general level, to particularly look at the EU as a solution to the problems being faced in the financial and economic crisis, but perhaps the solution should be provided by the national governments,” she said.

Ms Cini also explained that opposition to the EU by some countries like the UK within the EU is a risk as it could trigger fragmentation and a shaper “two speeds EU”. She also worried about the critical voices who oppose a dominant role for the market.

“These voices perceive the single market as an example of the EU adopting a neoliberal approach, even if the language of the reports and the Single Market Act is very much the language of social Europe,” she pointed out.

To face these criticisms Henrik Morch, from the European Commission, highlighted the achievements of the single market, particularly in terms of opportunities for business within the EU, such us the huge potential of ecommerce. Mr Morch said that for the across border market, ecommerce is still insignificant, making up about a 3 per cent in the EU market, but if it were to double by 2050, the economic benefit of that would be huge, up to €700 billion.

“The single market is now part of the solution, is even more important now than ever because of the economic crisis, but at the same time, it is seen as part of the problem. This is the risk and I think it is important to highlight the very confident benefits that inter-markets give,” he said.

Mr Morch added: “There is not a single bullet to revitalise the single market and create thousands of jobs and economic growth in one goal. It doesn’t exist: the single market is built piece by piece.”

Granada, the charm of the contrasts

La Alhambra / Pic: Ramón Villegas

In South Spain there is a place where the Muslim and Christian culture live together, creating a unique atmosphere, a mixture of unforgettable images, flavours and smells that can only be found in the city of Granada.

At the foot of Sierra Nevada, the highest peak in the Iberian Peninsula, lies the Moorish Alhambra Palace, the most emblematic monument of this multi-cultural city in Eastern Andalusia.

Considered the heart or Granada – not in vane it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – the Alhambra is a magnificent complex that used to be the city, fortress and palace of the Kings of the Nasrid dynasty. Its extensive rooms, beautiful gardens and famous fountains make up the highest expression of Muslim art in Europe. On the hill opposite the Alhambra, is the Albaicín, one of the oldest districts of Granada. Its Moorish roots make this neighbourhood a charming place. It is well worth a walk through its labyrinth of narrow streets to see the gardens of the cármenes (its typical houses), as well as the wonderful viewpoints – such as San Nicolás and San Cristobal – and the colourful Arabic market, full of shops with souvenirs and crafts. And to end the long stroll, there is nothing better than an aromatic tea in the teterías located at the bottom of the hill, while watching the bustle of the tourists and the authenticity of the locals with the catchy Arabic music in the background.

The best way to approach the Christian Granada is to visit the Royal Chapel – where the Catholic Monarchs are buried – and the Cathedral, a masterpiece of Spanish Renaissance style, built by Queen Isabella immediately after the conquest of the city in 1942, which led to the disappearance of the last Arab Kingdom in the Peninsula.

Apart from its monumental and picturesque places, Granada is also well-known to be one of the few remaining cities in Spain where tapas are still served free. From the neighborhood of La Chana to the area known as Plaza de Toros, there are many areas in which ‘ir the tapas’ (go around to the bars eating tapas) means get a free lunch while consuming a couple of drinks.

For the flamenco-lovers the Sacromonte is a must-see neighbourhood. Famous for its caves, many of which have been transformed into bars where the gypsies sing and dance flamenco every night. It is impossible to transfer the beauty of the views of the Alhambra, the charming Albaicín, the architectonic variety and great entertainment of this city onto paper. Granada can’t be explained, it needs to be seen, felt and breathed to appreciate its atmosphere. Once visited for the first time, there will be an irresistible urge to come back again to this dreamlike city.

Easter in Granada

If you go to Granada during the Easter holidays and suddenly you see a group of people dressed up as if they belonged to the Ku Klux Klan, don’t panic, they are just penitentes, that is, members of the cofradías who participate in the processions of Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Easter.

Many people from Granada take this religious event very seriously, so the Granada processions are quite spectacular and passionate. Months before the Holy Week, the members of each hermandad (brotherhood) prepare the figures of their Christ or Virgin Mary for their own processions and make sure everything is ready for the event.

During the processions, the pasos (wooden platforms) with the figures are carried on the shoulders of the men known as costaleros. They are followed by queues of penitentes or nazarenos, dressed up with long gowns and a particular cylindrical hat.

In Granada there are many processions, but the most popular ones are the “Silent Procession” – where the street lights are turned off and people remain silent as the procession takes places – and the “Gypsy Procession” – with bonfires and saetas (traditional songs to the Virgin) sung by the believers.
This year the Holy Week in Granada takes place from 1st to 8th of April.

Women entrepeneurs

Equality and emancipation are meaningful words in today’s women lives, however, when it comes to examining true equality in the labour market, good news for women is not so good any more, neither globally nor in Wales.

For Alejandro Suárez, author of the book It’s time to assemble your own business, a major problem that women face is the gender gap in entrepreneurship at a global level. “Women have spent years claiming a place in the labour market, but now it’s time to promote a new social and cultural change in which women are not only eligible to hold a job, but to create it,” he notes.

More than 104 million women in the world were actively engaged in starting and running new business ventures, contributing significantly to entrepreneurship in the 59 countries studied in the report, According to the latest data from the Global Entrepreneurship monitor (GEM).

In spite of this achievement, the vast majority of the economies analysed have more men than women entrepreneurs and, therefore, the gender gap persists globally, according to a multi-year analysis from 2002 to 2010.

The proportion of all entrepreneurs who are women varies considerably among the economies: from 16 per cent in the Republic of Korea to 55 per cent in Ghana – the only economy with more women than men entrepreneurs.

In Wales, the percentage of women entrepreneurs decreased from 58 per cent in 2009 to 43 per cent in 2010, which meant a widening of the gender gap in entrepreneurship by 15 per cent and a drop of female entrepreneurship to 3.6 per cent – a figure which is statistically the same as the UK.

Let’s go back in time, to the year 2004. At that time, the outlook in Wales was completely different for women entrepreneurs. Wales was an example of equality in entrepreneurship in the whole world, having one of the best gender balances, as female entrepreneurship was at three quarters that of the male entrepreneurial activity.

“For a few years we had the Entrepreneurship Plan in Wales and within that there was a special focus on women and minority groups, because, at that time, that was a major policy of the government,” says Christine Atkinson, head of Women’s Entrepreneurship Hub at the University of Glamorgan.

Since the Entrepreneurship Action Plan finished, the upward trend for women entrepreneur has reversed.  Ms Akinson explains:  “With the recession and with changes in the policy, those sorts of support measures have gone. If you take the support structures away, then the trend of women entrepreneurs is falling back again.”

An institutional framework to support women entrepreneurs might be the key to reduce the gender gap, but, why are there fewer women entrepreneurs than men not only in Wales, but across the world? The answer is more complex than it seems to be at first sight.

In her article What Do We Know about the Patterns and Determinants of Female Entrepreneurship across Countries? Maria Minniti, a leading expert in global entrepreneurship, finds a possible answer looking into the subjectivity and possibly biased perceptions.

Particular cultural beliefs could influence women to have less self-confidence, opportunity perception, and, eventually, the prospect of starting a new business as a career choice. This could be a reason that explains why women are more likely to be motivated to set up a business by necessity rather than an opportunity, as well as less likely to believe they have the skills to start and run a new venture, according to the latest GEM report.

Discrimination against women as result of gender beliefs inherent in a culture or society could also reduce women’s likelihood of becoming entrepreneurs. Ms Minniti explains in her article: “Discrimination has been suggested as a possible explanation for the gender gap in entrepreneurship and this is likely to be more significant in poorer countries although the evidence is mixed.”

In other words, societal beliefs – especially in certain male-dominated fields – reflect gender bias, which makes things, such as being accepted by some clients or having good relationships with vendors, more difficult for women entrepreneur.

“Gender bias depends on who you deal with,” says Bianca Cridland, a 24 year-old entrepreneur from Swansea who set up her business Gower Soaps from scratch.

“If someone has a lower opinion of you because you are a woman, you can pick it up from the first impression and you can counter that immediately with the knowledge and skills you have, that’s my strategy,” she adds.

In spite of the stereotypes against women, Ms Cridland argues that being a woman is an advantage when it comes to getting help from other women. “It is an unwritten rule. From my experience, the majority of help I have had come from other women in business. Even if they haven’t been able to help me directly, then they gave me advice or contact details from someone else,” she explains.

Another reason that might have an impact on the entrepreneur gender gap is related to finance. Women may find more difficult than men to access finance to get started in business, according to a study based in the UK and carried out, among others, by Dylan Jones-Evans, Director of Enterprise and Innovation at the University of Wales.

To deal with this issue, the study suggests that support organisations should be created in order to make available start-up finance. Another suggestion includes the need to increase both financial awareness and literacy though entrepreneurship education programmes at university, so potential female entrepreneurs are aware of all financial options open to them.

Professor Ms Akinson points out other factor that must be considered when analysing the gender gap in entrepreneurship. “There is a big issue that women face, which is the whole issue of work-life balance: those women that have caring responsibilities still are trying to pursue business,” she says.

For Georgina Jones, Welsh entrepreneur and co-director of the Cardiff-based company Sing and Inspire, coping with the difficulties related to maternity issues depends on the support network. “I don’t have children, but my business partner has and I can see that, for many people with family, business life is more challenging because they have more commitment than me,” she argues.

Many obstacles for women entrepreneur haven’t gone away and there are still barriers that need to be address. Policymakers, society and women themselves need to work towards the reduction of the gender gap in entrepreneurship.  Just as a century ago thinking about equality and emancipation was a distant goal in women’s minds, the significant increase of women entrepreneurs in Wales and globally is a goal that can be achieved. As Mr Suárez suggests in his book on entrepreneurship, the change is possible, but there is no time to lose.

What's happening in England?

It's 11 pm and I'm so tired that I lay in bed, close my eyes, and I start to dream as soon as I fall asleep. Suddenly, I find myself in an old house, huge, I would say it's a mansion instead of an ordinary house. I know the people who live there; they are not from my real life, but from my dreams. I open a window and I see a green lawn and a few cows grazing in the middle of a gray day, what better image of England. However, a new element bursts into my idyllic landscape. It’s a helicopter, a metal bird that heads rapidly towards my window. I have no time to run. The helicopter is coming and its deafening noise prevents me from hearing my own screams...

I wake up feeling a great sense of relief after realizing it has been a dream. Quickly, I forget the details of the nightmare, but the helicopter buzz still resonates in my head. After 15 minutes of buzzing I realize it's not my imagination: a helicopter is flying over our neighborhood. Because of the helicopter, or the nightmare, since that moment I can’t fall asleep over the rest of the night.

The next morning I wake up with headache. I need a coffee. I go downstairs, to the kitchen and when I open the door I realize that TV is on, even though no one is watching it. I'm about to turn it off, but a succession images catch my attention and I forget even my coffee: streets on fire, hooded guys smashing windows, kids throwing bottles at a group of policemen, a gang of youngsters looting an electronics store… images don’t end and I can’t stop watching. Three days later, I still stay glued to television:

I see British Prime Minister David Cameron, not looking very friendly, saying that we have seen the worst of England.

I hear another woman, not looking very friendly either, complaining about the police budget cuts announced months ago by the British government.

I watch dozens of policemen fleeing from the objects thrown by a gang of young people.

I hear the possibility of bringing the army.

I see an old man wondering why all this has happened, trying to figure out the mistakes of a system that has allowed thousands of young people destroy their community.

I see a picture of a person, apparently killed by a policeman, and the reason of the beginning of the riots in the streets of London.

I hear riots have spread to other cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool or Bristol.

I watch a couple of young men initially helping a bleeding boy and then stealing what he has got in his rucksack.

I see how Hindus clean their corner shops, shattered after the street riots.

I listen to a police officer advising parents to keep their teenagers at home during the wave of violence.

I read that three people have died during the riots in Birmingham.

I hear that more than 1000 people have been arrested.

I listen to another police officer saying that there were riots thirty years ago which raised the issue of racism, but the riots of these days are just criminal acts without any justification.

I see a man visibly shaken, crying on camera that riots means the insurrection of the masses in response to the yawning gap between upper and lower classes and to the social spending cuts.

I see a young boy hooded, leaving behind a ransacked establishment, with a plasma TV in his arms.

I hear dozens of times the words "gang culture" and "loss of values" in a materialistic society increasingly dominated by the statement "you are what you have".

I turn off the TV and go out. Walking through the streets of Bristol, I try to draw conclusions from what I've seen and heard, but everything is still unclear. My thoughts spin like the helicopter blades which didn't let me sleep a few days ago and the more aware I am that I do not understand anything, the greater the feeling of sadness that takes over me.

I feel sorry, very sorry to see how hundreds of young people destroy, steal and attack without the slightest hint of remorse or guilt. I feel sorry for all those who can't give nothing better of themselves. To see so many young people disoriented, with no voice and no future.

While the British political class, the "elite" formed in prestigious institutions like Oxford or Cambridge, is trying to decipher what is happening in their country; those juvenile delinquents who have been part of the riots still think they have nothing to lose. Ignored and now hated, perhaps this is more they could expect of themselves.

The threat of far right-wind terrorism

Norway rarely hits the headlines. Regarded as a peaceful country, a clear example of welfare state, with a thriving economy and an unemployment rate of less than 4%, Norway has remained far from bad news headlines. When last July 23 we knew about the car bomb explosion in Oslo and a mass shooting on the island of Utoya, many of us were surprised and we wondered, why Norway?

The constant media blitz on the threat of Islamic terrorism and the modus operandi of the first attack (explosion of a boom outside a government building in downtown Oslo) were more than enough to point out Islamic terrorist by those who are impatient to find answers –among which I include myself- . However, doubts started when we were informed of the shooting that had happened in the island of Utoya, where a group of young people was attending a summer camp organized by the ruling Norwegian Labour Party. A man –white skin, blond hair, Norwegian?- dressed in a police uniform opened fire and killed 69 people, mostly youngsters. Along with the explosion in Oslo, where 8 people died, the death toll was 77.

After the arrest of Anders Breivik Behring, the man who carried out the massacre in Norway, questions began to dissipate. The murderer, a 32 years-old Norwegian right-wing extremist and islamophobic, left the Islamist terrorism offside to show a new threat: the rise of the extremist right-wing as a new form of terrorism.

Although Breivik’s mental health is not yet known, it is evident that his plan was developed conscientiously to carry out a marketing campaign to
spread his fanatic right-wing ideas. His manifesto was posted on the Internet and sent by bulk email before the attacks, and it explains everything: from the justification of the attacks based on an imaginary Islamic invasion of Europe, how to make booms, to an interview to himself and a previous diary to the terrorist attacks. In this manifesto, the terrorist says he is not alone in his peculiar crusade against Islam, Which should alert the prospect of organized groups who share their hate for Islam, immigration and cultural conservatism taken to extremes.

The rise of xenophobic parties in Europe

The macabre ideology written by the murderer in his manifesto, takes its base in the right-wing parties which have proliferated in Europe in recent years. The rapid migration experienced in the economically developed countries (in some of them their ethnic composition has changed up to 30% of non-Western immigrants) and the lack of effective policies for integration, have resulted in an increase of fear, conflicts and rejection of “multiculturalism” as a response to strong demographic changes.

The radical right-wing parties in Europe have found its gold mine in this rejection of immigration and, by a populist and nationalist discourse, they have gained more and more followers. Thus, in Norway, the Progress Party (where the confessed author of the massacre was a member for several years) became the second largest group, winning one in five votes at the last election in 2009. In neighboring Sweden, the Sweden Democrat party membership increased by 4571 people in 1010 (26% more than the previous year) with a discourse which focus on the expulsion of immigrants.

In France, anti-Islam discourse has led to Le Pen’s National Front party to hold the third political force in the country. “Islamophobia” has also gained ground in the Netherlands and finds shelter in the third largest political group representing the country, the Party for Freedom. Far right-wing is also the third force in Finland and Denmark.

Right-wing extremist terrorism

Although it is not known yet whether the terrorist acted alone or not, it is clear that his ideology has found coverage in the far-right “institutional” parties increasingly visible in Europe and other “extra-parliamentary” groups: the so-called neo-Nazi groups or racist bands. The basic difference between them is that, while the first condemn violence, the neo-Nazi bands see it as the way to defeat the immigrants considered as the “enemies”. These violent groups have no institutional representation (since they just want to destroy democracy) and, because of their tendency to dissolve and transform themselves, it is very difficult to trace them. However, the radical right-wing is visible on the Internet, in some websites and discussion forums where they share their xenophobia, anti-socialist ideas and paranoid against a democratic government.

The man accused of the killing spree in Norway participated often in these platforms and, after his first appearance in court, he claimed of accomplices, which he described as “two more cells” in an organization. Does this mean that Breivik was part of an organized terrorist group? So far, police rule out this hypothesis and the latest information suggests that the murderer acted by his own.

Whether fear is unfounded individually or under the shelter of an organized terrorist group, does not change that this twin attack in Norway is part of a fanatic right-wing terrorism, which remind the shooting occurred on last January 8 in Arizona, when Jared Lee Loughner opened fired against a crowd of people in a Democratic Party event and killed 6 people and injured seriously more than a dozen, including the US Congresswoman Gabrielle Griffords.

So far this year, we have witnessed two acts of terrorism perpetrated by fanatics fed by the ideology of the radical right-wing. Will be needed more terror so that we begin to realize the danger they pose? As well as politicians and the media have warned us about the threat of Al Qaeda, they have now a golden opportunity to expose this new form of terrorism and foster public debate about the far-right parties responsibility when they launch their apocalyptic, xenophobic and anti-Islamist discourse.

News of the Word says goodbye

News of the World tabloid scandal looks as if it was taken from its main pages, with titles in capital letters and five columns. It could have been one of its “juicy” stories that its nearly three million readers, hunger for morbid news, used to flip though. Corruption, phone hacking, politics cornered by the press, “dangerous liaisons”... what a great story. But it couldn’t be. This time, News of the World has been making headlines in other newspapers and, such is the scandal that, after 168 year in the market, the tabloid has been closed.

The crisis in the tycoon Rupert Murdoch-owned tabloid started in 2005, when it was published an article about a knee injury of Prince William. After suspecting that the royal family was victim of phone hacking, a police investigation was carried out and it was revealed not only phone hacking, as well bribing police officers for information. Two years later, the royal family correspondent of the newspaper and a detective who collaborated to get information illegally, were imprisoned. The editor of News of the World, Andy Coulson, assumed his resignation.

Keep your enemies close

Not much time later, Coulson was hired as press secretary of the Conservative Party led by James Cameron. Surprise? Not at all, is better to keep your enemies close. That’s why James Cameron and Gordon Brown didn't miss Rebekah Brooks’ weeding –the former editor of News of the World and The Sun- the same year in which she became director of News International, the British division of the media empire News Corporation which operates under the direction of its founder, Rupert Murdoch.

Once in the power, Cameron was photographed with his wife, going to a Christmas intimate dinner at Rebekah Brooks’ home. If the recent scandal wasn’t come out, for sure the British Prime Minister would attend the traditional summer party organized by News International. Signs of friendship were obvious, as also is evident the interests between politic power (Cameron) and the press (Brooks). In fact, Murdoch’s tabloids in the UK –the now-shuttered

News of the World and The Sun- not only provide juicy gossip and rumours, also act as genuine political campaigns for the candidate that best meets the interests of the media empire. A clear example of this was the campaign launched by The Sun against the Labour’s Neil Kinnock in 1992, loosing against all the odds in favour to the conservatives.

The beginning of the end of News of the World

After the imprisonments and resignations in 2005, calm seemed to have returned. But two years later, the newspaper The Guardian return to the fray and revealed which politicians and celebrities were victims of illegal phone hacking when Coulson was editor of News of the World. These disclosures didn’t shock the British, after all these people are public figures and it’s increasingly difficult to distinguish between their public and private sphere.

The British Parliament was less permissive than the public and in September last year, police was pressured to initiate an investigation on phone hacking by News of the World. Prime minister’s secretary press Coulson couldn’t cope with the pressures and he had no choice but resign. Besides, a high-ranking position in the newspaper was fired in an attempt of clean up the image of the Murdoch’s empire British tabloid.

However, the bomb that blew up News of the Wold into a thousand pieces came this month when The Guardian revealed that Milly Dowler, a 13 years-old girl who was kidnapped in 2002 and killed on the same dates the tabloid spied the voicemail from her mobile phone. The paper not only spied the voicemail illegally, but also erased some of the messages to ensure new entries which, on the one hand, gave false hope to the family of Milly who was killed by that time and, on the other hand, involved the destruction of evidences that could have been vital to the police.

The publication of this information would mean the beginning of the end of News of the World. Its readership wouldn’t forgive the lack of scruples showed in the newspaper so it lost credibility and advertising, the foundations of journalism and journalistic enterprise, respectively. There was a drop in the value of News Corporation shares and a withdrawal of 33 important advertisers from the newspaper. The ship was sinking. On top of that, the takeover bid for full control of British Sky Broadcasting by News Corporation (it currently holds a 39% stake) was in danger due to the scandal broke. What to do?

Well, to shutter the tabloid has been the fastest solution. And emotional front page –“Thanks and goodbye”- and a print-run of nearly 5 million copies which revenues –of course- have gone for charity, would complete the move.

The “Three Musketeers” of the empire News Corporation –Murdoch himself, his son and future successor James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks- have given evidence in the phone hacking investigation. In their statement, their statements, their strategy is to deny any knowledge of what happened in the newspaper until proven guilty. Apart from Rebekah Brooks’ resignation as a News International director and the withdrawal of the takeover bid to control BSkyB, it seems that the earthquake that shook Murdoch’s News of the World is not going to collapse his media empire. Not to be surprised, “citizen” Murdoch is the media tycoon most powerful in the world.

South Sudan: new country, same challenges

If a country has huge oil reserves, fertile land and a privilege geopolitical position, I’d think this is a rich country, with a healthy economy due to the exploitation of its natural resources. However, isn’t surprising to see how many countries with a great economic potential are victims of men’s greed, intolerance and selfishness. This is the case of Sudan.

For 50 years Sudan fought against the British and Egyptian colonial power and since its Independence in 1956 this country has suffered two long civil wars where more than 2 million people died in a conflict motivated not only by economic reasons, but also by ethnic and religious problems.

On July 9, Sudan made headlines again. This time not for its conflicts or people’s misery, the news was the independence of the southern region and the subsequent creation of a new state: South Sudan.

Secession has drawn a new map and the country has spited into two. To the north, there is a smaller Sudan with capital in Khartoum and a population dominated by Arabs and Muslims. In the south, the new country with its capital in Juba is the home of a majority of black African.

Decades of struggle and Islamic repression

The independence of Southern Sudan has been the result of a long and difficult road that led to a peace process in 2005, which put an end to the longest and bloodiest African civil war.

That war erupted in 1983, the same year in which the president at that time, Numeiri, introduced the Sharia law in order to impose the Islamic doctrine. Popular discontent was evident, as many ethnic and religious groups live in Sudan: Muslim sunnis make up 70% of the population, African animists with 25% and Christians, 5%. To this dissatisfaction, must

be added the inequalities created during colonialism, when investments were injected into the northern forgetting the south, which led a legacy of inequalities that still remain.

After decades of struggle between the ‘rebels’ non-Muslim and the Muslim power –and under diplomatic pressure from the US, Europe, Africa and China– the government gave its approval to the referendum held on January in which 99% of the population voted for the independence of southern Sudan. The war had been too long and devastating: more than a million dead people, a 38 billion dollars foreign debt for weapons and a parallel conflict in Darfur (still in progress) on racial grounds.

The conflict in Darfur is particularly bloody. Rape is used as a war weapon, there are many cases of tortures, an increasing number of 400,000 dead victims and thousands of refugees have tried to settle in the neighbouring Chad. This brutality has been reported by the UN and, as a consequence, the president of Sudan, Al Bashir, has been accused of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.

After independence, the horror continues

Despite the important step for its self-management, the independence of southern Sudan hasn’t solved by far all the problems. First, there is still no agreement on oil (located in the south but piped out through the north), neither on the division of the borders in “hot spots” as, for example, the oil-rich border region of Abyei, an area annexed by the north in May, although most of its habitants are allied with the south.

According to Time magazine, the result of secession has led to the creation of two weak sates and more conflict. After the independence, the government of Khartoum (northern Sudan) is conducting a terror campaign to force rebels and non-Muslim civilians fleeing the country to the south. These pockets of people “unwanted” in areas like the Nuba Mountains and South Kordofan (also rich in oil) are the target of indiscriminate aerial attacks that could be defined as crimes against humanity.

In South Sudan things aren’t better. The struggle for the exploitation of oil resources is manifested not only between the north and the south, but also between armed militias and the Dinkas, who makes up the largest ethnic group in the area. The militias are living in areas with oil and claim that are unfairly dominated by the Dinkas.

This clash of interests is compounded with corruption, concentration of power in the central government dominated by the SPLM party and huge control of the economy by its armed wing, the SPLA. The lack of resources translates into 85% of illiterate population and 90% living with less than a dollar per day.

As it can be seen, there are so many problems in Sudan that it’s not difficult to loose hope. However, it must be admitted that independence has created a symbol, something to benefit after years of struggle, repression and deaths that, unfortunately, are still far from just being memories.