Leave Dr. Lam alone, rescue the deformed SPLM leaders

By James Okuk

June 11, 2009 — The author (Yong Deng) of the article “A hoax of a new party” is entitled to his opinion of panic about the birth of SPLM-DC under the wise and articulate leadership of the savvy Sudanese politician, Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin. I would have not responded him if he showed some little respect and reverence to truth and facts, and also to the root reasons of the birth of the new party.

I understand that the anti-Lamist enjoy anything and everything written to assassinate the political character of this savvy Sudanese politician. Any way it is their choice to hate him and I cannot force them to reverse their attitude without their free choice too. Some of them were recommending and pushing Dr. Lam Akol to resign from the SPLM or even dismiss him, thinking that he will join another political party. Nonetheless, what they did not have in mind is the possibility of this most intelligent South Sudanese politician forming a new party instead of joining an old one.

In a TV interview on CNN last two month, an American veteran politician said this to justify his quitting from an historical political party: “I did not leave the party; but it is the party that left me.” Exactly by forming his own party, Dr. Lam is fulfilling this quoted wise statement; he did not leave the SPLM but it is the SPLM that left him. That is why the name of his new party is SPLM-DC. Remember that Dr. Lam never left the SPLM since he joined it. For example, when he broke away from the SPLM/A after Nasir Declaration in 1991, he named the new movement, SPLM-United. History is there to prove this point and indeed a better change from SPLM-DC must come so that people and government, specially in Southern Sudan, could move ahead in pursuit of peace and development for achieving a dignified life of happiness.

During Southerners demonstration in Friendship Hall in Khartoum against the announcement of the ICC on arrest warrant on the sitting President of the Sudan, Al-Bashir was crown in Zande attire of monkey skin and Nuer short spear that had nothing to do with Shilluk culture of crowning of a King. If Al-Bashir was crown with Lawo and upward long spear, then it could have been attributed to Shilluk tradition of costumes. Difference between cultures must be identified so that someone does not mistake them.

Shilluk Kingdom was set ablaze in 2003 by the NIF government militias with the help of some people who call themselves the original SPLM and who were not happy with Dr. Lam’s declaration of merger with the SPLM/A because they thought this will squeeze their chances in the leadership hierarchy and prevent them from a spree of looting public wealth.

There is a limit to human patience for everything unless we pretend to be gods. Dr. Lam has tried his very best four years to reform the SPLM from within under Kiir’s leadership but in return he received no appreciation but only humiliations and intimidations. As he has exhausted the possible internal means to rescue the SPLM from leadership crisis, it is time for him to try a change from without with the support of the disappointed masses at the grassroots levels, who have been denied peace dividends (especially development and security) because of the tolerated vices of corruption, tribalism and incompetency from Kiir’s administration.

The NCP leaders know Dr. Lam very well because they also had bitter experience with him when they tried to ignore his determination for the realization of the right to self-determination for Southerners.

Also the SPLM leaders know Dr. Lam very well because of the Nasir Declaration and SPLM/A Split of 1991, which became a blessing that forced Dr. John Garang and his cronies to recognize (as the corner stone of the CPA) the right of self-determination for the people of Southern Sudan and Abyei Area.

Dr. Lam Akol loves the people of Southern Sudan and he does not joke around or flatter with whoever wants to dash the hopes of Southerners. He does not entertain staying in where people are not serious and concerned on achieving the common good with clear programmes.

If anybody or somebody does not know Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin and how he thinks and strategizes in achieving his dream for the goodness of the South, it is better for him/her to come down from illusions and wrong assumptions. Let him/her ask the people who know this Southern Sudan political icon to tell him/her the truth for liberation from past propaganda and indoctrination trauma from SPLM perpetual liars.

Therefore, I would like to tell the blind critics of Dr. Lam Akol to leave him alone in trying his very best to rescue the South from bad governance that have been sneaked in by the shameless corrupt SPLM bushmen whose hearts are abroad rather than at home. Instead, let them go and take care of how to convince the deformed leaders in the SPLM to wake up from their slumbers and blunders that have led to lost of confidence by the people at the grassroots. Criticizing or insulting Dr. Lam or NCP party will not help because the truth is already out there and the people know it very well.

James Okuk, PhD Student, University of Nairobi, [email protected]