Sudan is at crucial turning point

By Roba Gibia

July 5, 2009 – There is no doubt that a close observer on Sudan’s political affairs will certainly agree with me that the country is at crossroads, either for better or worse, due to the numerous and unfolding events engulfing the country from all directions, which has been consistently blamed on outsiders. And that was obvious by attributing all Sudan’s problems whether being in south, west and east as foreign intervention into Sudan’s internal affairs. This is simply because Khartoum is not looking into the root causes of its predicaments from within, but from outside just as it is looking for Sudan’s identity. While at this juncture, the country’s political forces is experiencing deep political crisis and divisions, even between the two major parties (SPLM and NCP) that formed the Government of National Unity.

There is profound gap and political differences between Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) which has got its own view as how to resolve country’s problems, based on its ideology which is merely Sudanism and not religious or racial but formation of nationwide state where democracy and equal opportunities prevail. While National Congress Party (NCP) is trying to cling on power unilaterally in order to execute its ideology of Islam and Arabism, and doesn’t have clear notion as how to resolve Sudan’s predicaments. And despite the fact that it was claimed that the 1989 National Islamic Front’s coup has salvaged country from collapse, but obviously, it has done more harm, deserted and scattered Sudanese people in all parts of world and torn the country apart, and as we talk today it is still spearheading the policy of discrimination and disintegration of Sudan into small units. You can’t unite a diversity country that has got multi-ethnic and culture by displacement, land scorch, denying rights of indigenous people to exist and by imposition of your religious ideology on the majority of indigenous people, then claiming that you have saved the country from falling apart, it sounds ridiculous. Hence, National Congress Party is not giving breathing space to other political parties and especially its partner (SPLM) to participate and contribute positively in adopting best options and solutions to country’s crisis, because NCP anticipates that once she adopts dispensation of power and absolute democratic transformation, which means involvement and participation of people in choosing their government, NCP will never come to power democratically, simply because the name NCP/NIF reminds people of its merciless record and military junta that butchered millions of people in south with the aid of northern geographical regions and currently in Darfur but without declaring Holy war against Darfuris.

It is now more than four years since signing peace deal between SPLM and NCP in Nairobi on January 9, 2005, and formation of the partnership or government of national unity, but still the two partners could not have common ground of understanding and as how to make country’s unity attractive to all Sudanese. Thus, the main feature of partnership between these two major parties is mistrust, suspicion and trading of accusation without taking drastic measures or political breakthrough in tackling crucial issues that the country is facing. The difference in approach between SPLM and NCP in country’s crisis is genuine, because the two has got different ideology and we cannot expect SPLM to talk in same tongue of NCP, and that is obvious too with NCP which can not talk in tongue of SPLM. But the main concern here and which peace loving people are expecting from both partners, is the welfare of the country, that is put your difference apart and deliver the country into safe shore and create conducive atmosphere for freedom of press, but not tightening screw on press. Why the interim constitution of Sudan is shelved? You can not govern a country without following and interpreting its constitution, which is bizarre, and that is the issue with Sudan’s ruling party today.

Therefore, when viewing absolute political situation in Sudan and especially between SPLM and NCP, it could be compared with the situation between mouse and cat, where it is impossible for these two obstinate foes to form reliable and durable partnership, relationship and talk in one tongue and share a vision and room. And if the two entered into obligatory partnership and relation, without commitment, dedication and will to carry out the partnership in good faith, there will always be tension, stalemate and faulting the other side for not changing its position. In my opinion, if you have not changed your old characters, then why do you expect others to change! We are all Sudanese with equal and legitimacy rights to have a say in country’s affairs, and no one is greater or lesser than the other to be barred.

Why Sudan is at crucial turning point, in my opinion, because its president is facing arrest warrant by ICC but the country doesn’t have clear stand as how to deal with the ICC, and above that all the political parties and forces in Sudan has got deviating views as how to address ICC issue. Therefore, the ICC arrest warrant has deeply divided the country and entire Sudanese people between pro and anti ICC. The second challenging issue is Darfur, thus, as Sudanese do we believe that free elections can take place in Darfur, where more than 2.5 million Darfuris living in IDP camps! Seek inclusive peace first at the whole country and stabilization of security, then there can be fair and free elections in the entire country. The third issue confronting the country is the Sudan’s fifth census, the circumstances where the census was conducted, raised lots of questions, as whether the census was conducted in fair circumstances and inclusive! Those issues have already been bypassed and the row now centered on the rejection of the fifth census results by the South Sudan Legislative Assembly (SSLA). But despite rejection of census results by lawmakers of SSLA, the National Election Commission is moving forward with its plans and preparations by announcing number of electoral constituencies in the entire country for conducting general elections in April 2010. Therefore, the current controversy over census results reminds me with same scenario when tribe and religion columns are excluded from the census form. But despite the fact that we do hear voices here and there, then what happened, census was conducted but in poor atmosphere, and I believe general elections and referendum will follow same path and scenario of fifth census. Thus, in my view, Sudan’s fifth census is the determining, measuring and influential factor as whether the coming general elections in April 2010 as well as 2011 referendum, will be conducted in fair, free, democratic and transparency. But there is already skepticism about the coming elections and referendum either it will turn the country into better or awful consequences, remain unknown, but let us play it with ears and cross our hands, wait and see as what the turning point and future is concealing.

The author is a Sudan Tribune journalist he can be reached at [email protected]