The death of Mr. John Garang, who led Sudan's southern rebels for two decades, risks destabilizing that country. Mr. Garang's decision to make peace with the Khartoum government ended a bloody civil war that had claimed more than 2 million lives. The peace that he negotiated must outlive him.
Sudan is divided among racial and religious lines. The northern half is predominantly Islamic; the southern half, a mix of Christians, Muslims and animists. The attempt to impose sharia, or Islamic law, on the south in 1983 set off a bitter conflict. It ended earlier this year with a peace deal that guaranteed southerners more say over their lives and installed Mr. Garang as a vice president of the Sudanese government.
Mr. Garang died last weekend in a helicopter crash as he was returning from talks in Uganda. Immediately after his death was confirmed, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) named Mr. Salva Kiir, Mr. Garang's former deputy, to replace him.