Give Pagan credit for saving Sudan’s unity!
By Luk Kuth Dak.
August 6, 2009 — Kudos to ustaz pagan Amum, the Secretary General of the Sudan Peoples liberation Movement (SPLM) and his deputy, ustaz Ezekiel lol Gatkouth, the South Sudan’s chief diplomatic representative to the United States of America.
Respectively, both of them, deserve a big thank-you, from all of us, for their courageous, patriotic and the most importantly, their outstanding defense argument on the issue of whether or not the US trade sanctions and the listing of Sudan as a terrorist state could be lifted, in the after math of the outburst and most dangerous report echoed by the General Scott Gration, the Obama’s Sudan’s envoy.
In their testimony, before the US Congress, both, simultaneously, argued affectively and diligently that, lifting the sanctions, and the Sudan’s name from the list of the countries that sponsor terrorism, should and must be addressed in a rather cautious manner. Most importantly, it be should be considered only if and when the INF regime changes it attitude in the implementation of all agreements, including the CPA, of course.
First and foremost, the Secretary General of the SPLM, ustaz Pagan Amum has forcibly and professionally elaborated before the Congress, the fact of the matter that, the one and only way that the INF control freaks could be made accountable to honor their obligations, is by all accounts through a persistent international community pressure, and any rush, to the normalization of relations with Khartoum, as suggested by President Ocala’s Envoy, would certainly mean a death sentence to the CPA and a peaceful settlement to Defer conflict, he said.
On the other hand, Ezekiel Lol Gatkouth, felt short of naming those he referred to as the “ the enemies of peace” within the NCP/ INF regime. He went on to say that, “ Truly, lifting the sanctions at this moment in time, would undoubtedly mean giving the Islamic regime all the tools it has ever needed to implement their rigid and intolerable agendas.”
Well, as you can imagine, Amum’s testimony was all but deliberately taken out of context, sadly even by some of Dr Lam Akol’s flunkies and their “ Saada” in the taliban style regime of INF. Therefore, if you are a Southern Sudanese, you should worry if the “ Jallaba” are given the green light to do as they wish, while the CPA barely stands on one leg.
Expectedly so, the Khartoum state’s sponsored media wasted no time- as usual- to rush to conclusion. Almost unanimously, they vehemently denounced ustaz pagan Amum’s position against the normalization of relations with the United States of America, and called a treason. ( we all know the meaning of the term, and what it carries in term of punishment).
The bigoted columnist, Rushed Abdulrahim, also President El Basher’s brother in- law, outrageously lashed out on the SPLM Secretary General. “ Pagan Amum should not be welcomed back in Sudan, after what he did in Washington, he wrote.”
Of course, El Intibaha ( the intelligence wing of the INF) also headed by President El Basher’s uncle, El Tayib Mustafa, pretty much called for Pagan’s elimination from the face of the earth. “ Where are the mujahideen when the country needed them the most, wrote the Sudan’s first uncle.”
Then El Rayaam editor – in- chief, also President El Basher’s first cousin, ustaz Kamal Hassan El Bakhiet, felt short of calling for Amum’s assassination. “ We can no longer allow these enemies ( Pagan and Yasir Arman) to exist and move around freely while tarnishing our country abroad, he wrote.”
I could go on and on, but I hope that you have gotten the message, particularly, if you are an Arabic reader.
The sad truth, however, is that: Southern Sudanese already are missing one of the true champions of the CPA, former President George W. Bush, whose White House saw to it that Khartoum extremists had to be dealt with in accordance with the only English language they understand: FORCE.
Don’t We wish he sits in the Oval Office, today? Am afraid so.
Consequently, we are not trying to take anything away from the first African American President, Barrack Obama, for whom I personally voted for, based on the “ Yes, we can” slogan for change and prosperity in America, However, more and more Southern Sudanese Americans are frustrated over his White House’s policy of pleasing Arabs and Islamic regimes, at the expense of the oppressed Africa people in the South, Darfur, East and the Nuba mountains.
Clearly, the administration’s approach to Sudan, particularly under Obama’s Envoy, Gen. Scott Gration has been anything but neutral. Way too much conflicting positions amongst the US foregne policy team, have been noticeable on a regular bases. The General says one thing, and the US Secretary of States, Hillary Clinton says another.
Unless the General didn’t hear what his employer, President Obama has said in Ghana, that what is taking place in Darfur is a genocide and an ethic cleansing, by the ruthless rulers of Sudan. The only other explanation to the General’s position would be that, he, in fact, doesn’t respect President Obamas policies on Sudan.
Apparently, being in the office for only a few months, may indeed not be sufficient for the General to fully understand how to deal with Sudan. But, even so, he should not rush to reward the regime, even as it tries to undermined the agreement the US was a signatory of.
Without a shadow of doubt, it is certainly clear to a bare eye of anyone who cares about the injustices practiced by the regime of the embattled fugitive Omar El Basher, that in fact, General Scott Gartion lacks the necessary expertise that it takes to deal with the current system in control of Sudan.
If he wanted to be a neutral mediator, that he should have in the first place, then, it would have serve him better if he took a hard look at how in the past the Sudanese governments abolished similar agreements with South Sudan. Even more so, he should have sat down with Gen. Joseph Lago, the master mind of the Addis Abba Agreement.
Matter of fact, we are not here trying to butcher the Obama administration on what it should or should not do regarding Sudan. It is almost impossible, anyway. Yet, it remained astonishingly unbelievable how this White House takes lightly an agreement that brought an end to Africa’s longest and most bloodiest civil wars! And how could it possibly try to ignore a half a century long struggles of the people of South Sudan, against the Arabs and Muslims domination!
In the end, though, even as some Southerners continue to prey on our freedom, it ultimately remained in the hands of those Southerners who truly want to live as a free people, in their own land.
The author is a former Juba Radio anchorman/ reporter. He can be reached at: [email protected].