Water matters in the April 2010 Sudan elections

By Machien J. Luoi

February 25, 2010 – In April 2010, many Southern Sudanese of all walks of life will for the first time go to the polls to vote for candidates of their choice. Each person or community will vote for candidates who care and who have commitment to provide services on issues of concern to individuals and communities. Amongst many issues that are of great concern especially to the agro-pastoralist communities in Southern Sudan is the accessibility to drinking water for people and livestock. Currently, water demand in Southern Sudan ranks probably first or second in most communities after security or food insecurity. Therefore, it is clear that water access will matter greatly in the April 2010 elections in Southern Sudan. Hence, political parties and candidates with promising water accessibility programs for communities in need of water will likely be voted for en masse.

Why is accessibility to water a matter in the April 2010 elections in Southern Sudan? First, water is a basic necessity for individual’s physical and biological being. Secondly, it is the availability of water that sustains agricultural, pastoral and commercial lifestyle of peoples. Water is needed for drinking and performance of other household activities by people and as well as significant for livestock catering in Southern Sudan, Moreover it is essential for farming and commercial activities.

In the absence of accessible water, peoples’ lifestyles deteriorate. Lack of accessible water may results to death of people and livestock, zero or insufficient farming, migration and increase insecurity between communities. Most of the conflicts which have plagued Southern Sudan in the past four and half years are water access related. To make this point clear, let me cite an example.

About four days ago, I was in Marial village (Chiengdhuong) in Guit County – Unity State. The village is an agro-pastoralist community. The village depends on the cereal farming (Sorghum, Corn) and livestock (cows, goats, sheep) keeping. Marial village was lucky; they had a borehole installed in their community by an oil company that operates in the state last year. Unfortunately, the company dug the borehole during rainy season; therefore, the water level was high and ground softened for easy drilling. The borehole was not drilled deep because the water was easily found at higher level. This year in January as the dry season began, the only borehole dried up leaving Marial village helpless. In February the villagers migrated east to live along the Nile River and will spend the next two months away from home until the rainy season hit.

So far Marial village is safe from any citation of death of people or livestock, because they knew it coming and migrated earlier. However, they may not be spared from grazing lands and water conflicts which have ravaged many parts of Southern Sudan.

Additionally, dry season in agro-pastoralist communities is an opportunity to clear up farms of any dry veins and roots of previous season’s farming. It is a chance to increase farm size so that when the rainfall, the farms are ready for first crop planting. Conversely, if this opportunity is missed, it is often difficult for farmers if the late crops are caught immature by floods which make farm crop growth stunt. The most negative consequence is the resulting food shortage after a poor farming season.

Besides, The dry season is often a time to get huts (Tukuls) and livestock enclosures ( Luak) ready sealed to stand the rainy season. Consequently, if this is not done, people and livestock will be exposed to cold rainy season which may eventually result to disease outbreaks for both people and livestock.

Marial village is inhabited by about 100 people but it is just one village. How many villages are in Guit County, Unity State and Southern Sudan? There are thousands of villages that are experiencing water shortage in Southern Sudan; therefore, the next politicians will have to address the water issue. They will have to drill boreholes for villagers and dig water reservoirs or Affir as they are known locally for livestock watering. If water is accessible, communities will remain in their homes with their livestock, food insecurity will be addressed; livestock related conflicts will be reduced, migration from one place to another in search for grassing and water sources will be controlled and homes will be kept secure for better sheltering. Finally, the overall standard of living for ordinary citizens will be improved.

Lastly, access to water matters, in the April 2010 elections, political parties and candidates with promising water programs for communities in need will likely be voted into government offices. This is the time for politicians to make water accessibility central in their campaigns and hopefully during their work when they take up their offices in May 2010.

Machien J. Luoi currently resides in Bentiu, Unity State – Southern Sudan. He can be reached at [email protected]