The SPLA, however, was of the opinion that unhindered relief assistance to the needy should not be linked to a cease-fire. They hold that cease-fire, which they welcome in principle, is best negotiated as a separate issue. During my time in Sudan, I visited the Upper Nile region. From what I could see, the commercial and social activities of the local people are gradually returning to their normal patterns. Farming on individual and collective tracts, trade among local and northern merchants, cattle camps, and road repairs were some of the evidence.
Medical aid continues, but, in general, food aid is no longer needed.
In contrast, Bahr al-Ghazal region is experiencing famine. Citizens, held hostage in the concentration zones, are unable to move to other areas to get food and cannot plant or harvest in their permanent villages, as do their counterparts in the Upper Nile region. It is impossible to find out how much of the food ends up in rebel hands. One Sudanese pastor estimated that the amount could be as high as sixty-five percent. I believe lack of freedom, in addition to drought, is the major contributing factor to the deprivation.