Signs of a political firestorm in the SPLM
By Deng Yiech Bachech*
Jan 28, 2006 — It is not accidental that the two political parties have a deep-seated political and ideological antagonism. Each pursues its own political direction and interests. The ills of the past history for half a century aren’t cured and their memories aren’t over yet. Thus the two gaints that dominated the political apparatus of the Government of National Unity (GONU), which was formed on January, 2005, could not find a common ground to mend the already torn social fabric of Sudan. Each views and treats the other with high degrees of suspicion and misperception. A political firestorm that can’t be easily extinguished inside or outside the Republican Palace. Moreover, despite much optimistic levels of promises and guarantees for peace as entrenched in the new interim constitution and swift implementation of the CPA, there aren’t any signs that could indicate that SPLM and NCP are partners in spirits and on principles. Politics of deception and escapegoating becomes increasingly instrumental and, at worst, such a political wrangle is an insidious disease that suffocates the central nervous system of Sudan politics, both in the South and North. Having read the news today (January 27, 2006) and found that H.E Salva Kiir, the First Vice President of Sudan (GONU) and President of South Sudan governments, has been blamed for not defending the NIF regime’s bid for AU chairmanship and other international issues, that baseless accusations wouldn’t surprise me at all. A sound-minded Sudanese can’t receive such malices, lies and propagandas being spread by NIF financed and regulated newspapers with pride.
Why would Salva Kiir support the lifting of the sanctions imposed on Sudan while he didn’t even know how and why such sanctions were imposed? Even if he knew any thing about them, those sanctions were imposed by the US because of NIF’s messy track records of human rights abuses and of harboring and supporting terrorists. And people of South Sudan, Kiir included, were (are) the victims of NIF activities. The failure of NIF to assume AU presidency this year (2006) is nothing but a lesson it (NIF) must learn due to its continuous, vicious and bloody policies. Confidence is not restored yet, and that confidence can be regained and refurbished only if some, if not all, provisions contained in CPA documents are implemented. However, nothing has materialized since then. Inspite of being a political novice with no diplomatic and training as some would assume, Kiir is a hero who would not be manipulated by shallow rhetorics in order to betray his own people and their hopes and trusts expected of him to pursue by defending policies which victimize his people. Secondly, NIF should be assured that people of Sudan are riding a car (country) with two wheels: pan-African and pan-Arabism. History is the sole teacher that clearly taught us. Unless something miracle happens, peaceful co-existence, religious tolerance, mutual respect and recognition of our diversity in a united Sudan will be just a wishful thinking. Needless to say that the ‘making unity attractive’ slogan for South and North is just a let-go-and-see political insinuation which has no place in the hearts of South Sudanese, and it hasn’t entered into their dictionary book of land. Notwithstanding the ongoing mistreatments of South Sudanese nationals in various Arab cities and a lack of sympathy towards them as manisfested by NIF leadership inaction during Cairo Massacre, Sudan can still be the same if some attractive utilities are in place. Nonetheless a nation religiously, racially, ideologically, socially, economically and politically divided like Sudan can not unite at all. Otherwise, maybe it might come as a reality by means of force, but a forced unity would result in a perpetual war. But people of South are tired of war and sufferings which came along with it. Now they want peace and tranquility to build their own sovereign state, and to develop and cultivate their natural endowments and potentials to prove to the world that they are capable of doing anything under the sun like other nations. They will live in a nation called The Republic of South Sudan without any worries of Arabisation, Islamisation and possibly from fear of the incidences of terrorism related acts.
The elites of Arab north have for long exploited our human and natural resources, and it is a time (now) to give a halt to such inhuman exploitation. However, the yesterday propagandas against Kiir is not a new episode, but one of the strings of perpetual dividing machinery to form and cause a cleft within the SPLM and entire GOSS. We better be careful about that. For NIF praising Dr. Lam for defending NIF policies and expressing disaproval to Salva Kiir for not doing enough is an alarm that would make us think twice. It is pretty clear that SPLM is vulnerable because it is not speaking one voice as it used to be during Garang’s reign of “Iron Hand.” Now every senior SPLM member, whether in the GONU or in the GOSS, is saying any thing that suits her/his ego, instead of looking beyond what damage her/his personal views could bring about if those views do contradict the principles, integrity and policies of the GOSS. Because people are flexible and exercising a newfound way of life, that is “democracy”, that guarantees freedom of speech and free access to the press, it is hard to understand the limits of democracy. Therefore, the GOSS needs to inform all its ministers and train them about governmental policies, which includes conformity to the laws of land and party disciplines. Each minister has to behave and act according to its ministerial porfolios, and he can’t overstep beyond his administrative jurisdiction. And more importantly, this policy will keep in check some political enterpreneurs who are surreptitiously fishing for power and wishing for the downfall of the government.
* Deng Yiech Bachech is a Political Science student at The University of Saskatchewan, Canada. He can be reached at: [email protected]