The “New Sudan” vision and its effects on South Sudanese unification

By Kim Deng

The 2nd split between the Separatists and Unionists within SPLA/M in 1991

There have been many separatists in the movement [SPLA/M] since 1983 who believed that Garang’s “New Sudan,” vision must be challenged within until their strategy yielded a signal towards Garang’s poor vision “New Sudan,” in 1991 due to what we call “Nasir move,” the very blessing day for Southern Sudanese, the Nasir declaration on August 28, 1991 which gave birth to “self-determination for South Sudan,” htt://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article27738 divided the movement [SPLA/M] into two factions once again; the SPLA/M-Tori faction under the command of Mr. Marxist-Leninist Garang with his self-claimed “United Socialist Secular/New Sudan,” vision and the SPLM/A-Nasir facton under Dr. Riek Machar Teny-Dhurgon’s leadership with his “self-determination for South Sudan.” htt://www.africa.upenn.edu.Hornet/sd_machar.html Dr. Riek was compelled to declare Nasir move, not only because Mr.. Marxist-Leninist Garang was running the movement like his own property which was acknowledged by Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir after it was already too late in 2004, but due to lack of directions, clear objectives, principles and human rights for/in the movement. Therefore, if the Naath/Nuer as a community has been hungry for leadership as Jaang/Dinka always claims it, why would Lt. Col. Samuel Gai Tut select Mr. Akuot Atem who is a Dinka by tribe to be the leader of the movement if not only because Mr. Marxist-Leninist Garang rejected the selection? Why would CDR. William Nyuon Bany aim his pistol at Lt. Col. Samuel Gai Tut Yang, CDR. Copra Abdalla William Chuol Deng and their supporters just to secure another Dinkaman, Mr. Garang’s leadership?

In the Garangist mental scheme, all the “anti-New Sudan,” vision who still believe in Anya Nya II vision of secession must be elimnated. As far as Garang knew, the SPLA forces under his command had every reason to believe that they had upper hand and that they could make it all the way to Nasir. Garang thought that the SPLM/A-Nasir faction under Dr. Reik Machar’s command, was very weak, demoralized and incapable of defending their Headquarters, Nasir let alone taking offensives operations. The next day after Garang declared, “the Gany of two,” as he perfers to call them [Dr. Reik & Dr. Lam] “must be given their last blow.” He went further, “we will break them down soon, and it is a matter of time before we bring the separatists to the vision of no-return.” After Garang’s statements were intercepted, Lt. Gen. Tiger Bol Koang declared that “the very existence of the SPLM/A-Nasir faction is in danger,” and demanded that “all soldiers stand firm and fight to last drop of blood.”

Without any surprise, the SPLA forces under CDR.Rhino William Nyuon Bany rounded up Anya Nya II elements plus few soldiers who appeared to be from SPLA-Nasir faction forces and burned down villages from Nuer Genesis homeland Bentiu [Liech/Unity State] including Leer, Dr. Riek Machar’s hometown. The SPLA forces under the command of Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir and Lt. Gen. Kuol Manyang Juuk did not only fail miserably after their suicide attempt in Kongoor to wipe out Dr. Riek’s forces as predicted by Garang, but instead encircled and pursued like hunting dogs chase rabbits or Deer by Dr. Riek’s forces under the command of Lt. Gen. Tiger Bol Koang and CDR. Tiger Koang Banypiny. As a result, Duk Padiet, Kongoor, ,Twi East, Mading Bor and beyond were burned down to ash when the “Operaton Typhoon,” was launched as the two Generals [Bol & Koang] call it. Dr. Riek Machar ordered his troops to withdraw after reaching Jamissa/Fegeri in greater Equartoria. The SPLA-Torit faction forces’ mission did not only fail miserably, but suffered tremendous losses and their mission to bring “the Gang of two alive or dead and to trash to self-determination for South Sudan to garbage bin for good,” as Garang declared earlier before the war widespread like a wildfire beyond his imagination rather than vice-versa. A staggering pace that reflected the disarray of Garang’s subordinates in most of the areas under attack. Torit, Kapoeta, Yei… were on the verge of cowardice and panic mongering evacuation until the common enemy overran almost all the liberated areas without any resistance from Garang’s SPLA/M-Torit faction. Can the SPLM/A stands its ground without the separatists’ support?

Many areas including major towns; Torit; Kapoeta; Mading Bor were recaptured and/or surrendered to the common enemy as a result of split. The remaining few garrisons/towns under the control of Torit faction were on the verge of panic of evacuation either to Uganda or Kenya refugees’ camps as well. Mr. Garang was blinded by his burning conviction that Torit faction had to defeat and subjugates the Nasir faction, a movement that he contemptuously dismissed as “a Gang of two.” Garang himself suffered a near psychological collapse as his faction looked as though it might implode. Garang’s forces should have been crushed/brek down and/or chased up to Kenya/Uganda-Sudan borders if Dr. Riek Machar was for military option rather than reconciliation through peaceful dialogues. Garang’s “New Sudan,” vision did not bring anything, but setbacks, chaos, death, subjugation by terror and epic conflicts. It was Garang’s ambition in war that compelled Nasir faction to take immediate military countermeasures. The burning question is what prompted Garang to be the first to ignite the fire which he could not distinguish?

There is no connection between the Nuer vs.Dinka and Separatists vs. Unionists. Of course, the armed civilians from the subject tribes intervened during confrontations between the unionists and separatists in those dark days, and their intervention should not justify that the war was between the two big tribes rather than reasons suitable to their own interests. There have been ups and downs between these two big rival tribes since 1800s, and it still working as we speak; Duk Padiet which was burned down twice by Mighty Nuer Warriors/Jech-in-Bor on GoSS and its army [SSAF] warch, proved beyond the reasonable doubt that Nuer vs. Dinka still exists.

The Nuer ethnic group has never been hungry for leadership/power as some folks may believe especially the Dinka, as a matter of fact the movement [SPLA/M] from its first two years it was dominated mainly by Nuer ethnic group. The first two battalions [104 & 105] or Jamus and Tumsah almost all the troops were from Nuer tribe and if you’re in doubts, don’t hesitate to consult someone like Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir, Lt. Gen. Jame Gathoth Mai, Lt. Gen. Oyei Deng Ajack, Mr. Governor, Taban Deng Gai, SG. Pagan Amum, and Mrs. Nyandeng Mabior whom you seem to believe in all aspects.

Many elements from Anya Nay II who deserted condition all joined the SPLA/M within 1983. CDR. Rhino William Nyuon Bany who believed to be the one who brought Garang to power is a Nuer by tribe. Lt. Col. Samuel Gai Tut Yang and his group wanted another Dinkaman, Mr. Akuot Atem to be the leader of the movement, but Garang and his group did not only rejected the selection, instead wanted Garang to lead the movement. The very blessing day for Southern Sudanese, the August 28, 1991 of Nasir declaration was not mean to hijack the leadership from Dinka as many put it, but it was a move to force Garang and his subordinates to make a U-turn from his self-claimed “United Secular/New Sudan,” vision to self-determination for South Sudan. Therefore, this demonstrated that, the Nuer as a community has never been hungry for leadership/power and refute Dinkas’ claims bas on all the above mentioned factors.

And of course, as a result of Nasir move, Garang divorced and abandoned his alliances, called SPLA/M 1st National Convention in 1994 and for the first time ever, the self-determination for South Sudan was the first agenda in that Convention. The movement changed from its former name SPLA/M as it used to be to SPLM/A. Garang put self-determination for South Sudan to be the first agenda/priority whenever there is a peace talks with tyranny government in Khartoum and in CPA Garang himself signed for it [self-determination for South Sudan.” Garang gave up his “New Sudan,” vision, a vision he always refers as a “vision of no-return.” This raised too many unsettling questions from his allies especially NDA, Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile circles who were betrayed by his self-claimed “New Sudan,” vision after they realized that Garang shamelessly made a U-turn which left them in illusion.

Then, why remain separated if the former Marxist-Leninist SPLA/M led by Garang relinquished its “New Sudan,” vision after it was forced by Nasir move to adopt the only sole objective of the movement, the self-determination for South Sudan? Leadership has never beee a big concern from separatist point of view since 1983 as some people blindly believe, but directions, clear objectives, principles and human rights for/in the movement. The SPLA/M division between the separatists and unionists should not justify the merit to classify the SPLM/A and GoSS as a Dinkas’ movements/gov’t just simply because the two leaders, Col. Dr. John Garang and Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir hail from that ethnic group. If this the case, as some one-sided folks may believe, Lt. Col. Samuel Gai Tut Yang, Col. Dr. Garang plus many others should have not joined the Anya Nya I [SSLM/A] under Joseph Lago’s leadership, but viewed it as Baria’s movement.

Kim Deng can be reached at [email protected]