As you know, I am skeptical of Omar al-Bashir’s assertion that he would willingly allow southern Sudan to secede. Recent news about political repression in Sudan helps to explain why. Sudan’s security forces, recently granted even more powers to harass the enemies of the state (and that seems to be their main purpose), have been brutalizing political opponents in the north and south of Sudan. Perhaps this explains why Bashir can be so conciliatory: He knows that by the time of the elections (scheduled for April) the opposition will have been terrorized so much that he will not have to worry about any challenges either to his authority or to Khartoum’s territorial claims.
