South Sudan crisis

This paper summarises the current crisis in the new nation of South Sudan, the historical background, and Australia\u27s role. Executive summary In mid-December 2013, the newly formed country of South Sudan erupted into violence, creating a significant humanitarian crisis. Violence spread rapidly across the country, mainly along ethnic lines, and thousands were killed. The United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) came under attack with two Indian peacekeepers killed. The UN Security Council adopted a resolution on 24 December 2013 to significantly increase the military and police contribution to UNMISS. Australia contributes military and police personnel to UNMISS and recently provided additional support through strategic airlift operations. Despite a peace agreement being reached on 23 January 2014, which included terms for a ceasefire, the violence continues. Since the crisis started, 709,000 people have been internally displaced and 249,000 have sought refuge in neighbouring countries. Peace negotiations backed by the UN and the African Union are ongoing, but are yet to produce a sustainable solution to the crisis

Defending Australia: a history of Australia’s defence white papers

This paper provides a summary of each of Australia’s defence white papers issued between 1976 and 2013 and seeks to draw out common themes that emerge in some or all of them. Executive summary Australia published defence white papers in 1976, 1987, 1994, 2000, 2009 and 2013 and a new white paper is expected in 2015. A community consultation process was undertaken as part of the 2000 and 2009 defence white papers and a similar process is being carried out for the upcoming 2015 defence white paper. The need to defend Australia against a major aggressor remains the primary driver in Australian defence policy. Regional security and contributing to the global order have been secondary, but still important priorities in Australian defence planning. Each of the defence white papers has been created on the basis that Australia should be able to defend itself against a potential aggressor without outside assistance (the principle of self-reliance), while at the same time stressing the importance of the alliance with the United States. Threat perceptions have changed from the Cold War influences reflected in the 1976 and 1987 white papers to a contemporary focus on terrorism while also incorporating emerging threats such as cyber attacks and the rise of China. Defence white papers are not produced in a vacuum but are informed by key reviews of Australia’s strategic situation, industry policy and force posture. Defence policy is subject to the broader economic conditions of the time and the Department of Defence must contend with many other priorities for government funding. The financial plans set out in the various defence white papers are often ambitious and rarely brought to fruition. On the whole, capability choices have displayed continuity between the different white papers regardless of changes in government. This is understandable given the length of time required for major capital equipment acquisitions. Recent white papers have placed a greater emphasis on regional engagement. The contribution of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, as well as to border protection activities, has also been included in the most recent white papers

Ukrainian crisis - a quick guide to key resources

This Quick Guide provides Parliamentarians with a list of key resources and commentary about the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Authored by Nicole Brangwin (with assistance from Toby Bellwood, Cameron Hill, Sue Johnson, Nina Markovic and Janet Phillips)

South Sudan crisis: April 2015 update

The Sudan conflict has been one of the longest running in contemporary African history. This paper provides an update on the current crisis in South Sudan. Executive summary In mid-December 2013, the newly formed country of South Sudan erupted into violence, creating a significant humanitarian crisis. Violence spread rapidly across the country, mainly along ethnic lines, and thousands were killed. The United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) came under attack with two Indian peacekeepers killed. The UN Security Council adopted a resolution on 24 December 2013 to significantly increase the military and police contribution to UNMISS. Australia contributes military personnel (and previously policing personnel) to UNMISS and provided additional support through strategic airlift operations during the initial stages of the crisis. Despite a peace agreement being reached on 23 January 2014, which included terms for a ceasefire, the violence continues. In the last year, the number of internally displaced people has risen from 709,000 to 1.5 million and those who have sought refuge in neighbouring countries increased from 249,000 to 646,883. Peace negotiations, backed by the United Nations (UN) and the African Union are ongoing, but are yet to produce a sustainable solution to the crisis. In February 2015, an agreement was reached to establish a transitional unity government—however, efforts to progress beyond this point have been continually frustrated by parties on both sides of the conflict. The UN Security Council has threatened to impose sanctions unless progress is made towards establishing the transitional unity government by the 9 July 2015 deadline