Refer Abyei disputes to the 3rd party
By Isaiah Abraham
September 7, 2006 — Reading from socalled Joint Political Meetings between the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement led Government in Juba (GOSS), there is an urgent need for the two parties to swallon their pride and seek an arbitrator (3rd party). They shouldn’t deceive themselves that one party would yield to the demands or position of the other. Going by their natter, nebulous and vague press conferences, anyone lens could just see crisis in their faces and tones. They simply avoid being antogonistic to each other or put it this way avoid being sincere to the publicly. SPLM Parliementarily Group Chair Hon. Yasir Saeed Arman couldn’t just be right but clear when he stated that on one political occasion that his group (read SPLM) are playing it save! He may be right or wrong…
For starters, Abyei Protocol calls for among other things the creation of Abyei Administrative Council composed of handful members but appointed by the President. That proragative doesn’t mean that the President has to delay, appoint at will or refuse to do anything and just get away with it. The Boundry Commission for Abyei was an exercise to determine which part actually is Abyei’s and which is Southern Kordofan or Bahr El Ghazal. That Commission was instituted and supposed to passed the recommendations to the President and Presidency. What happened there escaped no one’s attention. no implementation of the Abyei Protocol.
Before and later after the singing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the enemies of peace have been up to undo the CPA. This is just a relevant truth & is supported given the disappearance of our great leader Dr. John Garang de Mabior from that scene-elimination. NCP party is interested in peace but not in the agreement. The SPLM on the other hand is interested in the later, under which it has committed and subjected itself to humiliation all along since the agreement was signed last year in January. Khartoum unfortunately is mistreating its faithful, genuine and only reasonable partner that could do business with. They will live to regret if SPLM pulls out it partnership license!
But any querry about much hyped and highly overrated Amum, the SPLM Secretary General? Probable not. He represents voice of reason in that Government. When the National Energy Ministry negotiation were at highest tempo last year in September, his voice was vocal, clear and untuned! Still upholds political future in our nation, Southern Sudan. How could my dear brother smiled away our belove land of Abyei and allowed the NCP to hoodwinked him and his team that the Abyei issue is subsidiary like any other items in disputes and therefore has to be discussed in the committees and party headquarters? If the Abyei problem not an issue what is that issue anyway? Where is the man who stand out tall among his equal colleagues in the liberation struggle? How would his team allowed any piece of the agreement to be renegotiated? That is a million dollar question! After 99 years of absence geographically, Abyei is now part and parcel of Southern Sudan, period! No further discussions on this, but still no violence or war to claim it, unless necessitated!
After Dr. Garang, Southern Sudan somewhat and somehow banks on Mr. Nhial Deng Nhial and Mr. Pagan Amum Oketch. Am I alone? Perhaps not! Without any prejudice to other key leaders at that level, the two gentlemen are promising lot, so to speak! And the President? Oh yes, He is careful and collected. He is exceptionally doing his job well! Somebody is charging him that he is doing things behind the President El Bashir. That is just being malicious of the man. He doesn’t talk behind the back of President Bashir or his key hawks about failures of the NCP to honor Abyei Protocol? Our President Kiir I assume has exhausted every bit of diplomacy and you could read his frustration in all his interviews and press conferences. What he need though is the assertiveness and plan to counter NCP’s plans that are directed to delay or scotch the implementation on this Protocol.
Now our people are breathing uncertainty from our ‘brothers’ in the North! The likes of Hon. Dr. Nafie Ali Nafie, the Deputy NCP leader for Political and Organization Affairs is reminiscences of Dr. Ali El Hag Mohammed who was known for poaching Southern Sudanese through use of money. He is not using money but brain to thwart anything to do with Abyei Implementation. The Area to Hon. Nafia is “Ya Abi” meaning literally ‘oh my father’. Therefore, Any talk we could expect would only be chicanery and a nightmare. GOSS are to brace themselves for tough road ahead from the NCP tactics for any solution as far as Abyei dispute is concerned.
Desperate times called for desperate measures the saying goes. International Court of Justice (ICJ) and Inter Governmental Authority and Development (IGAD) are some few venues that could be sought to remedy an eventual deadlock and conflict. Nigerian and Cameroun were on the verge of full scale war should it not ICJ ruling that diffused that conflict in 2003. IGAD though a non legal entity is increasingly been touted as a force to reckoned with, probably due to it’s closeness and association with trioka countries of USA, Britian and Norway. Internally, our Federal Appeal Court in Khartoum cann’t be trusted to sit over such a case without being partisan; this matter is so complicated and needs impartial body to thrush out socio- judicial & political matters attached therein. May the Lord bless us all!
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