President Al Bashir ‘border explosion’ remark unfortunate

By Isaiah Abraham

June 12, 2010 — The North and the South about possible border troubles should the South goes separate in the next year January Referendum. To him, the border disputes between the two countries (the North and the South) would be another crisis should the two sides failed to agree now. Granted, this is an honest and straight forward offer by the Head of state to the people of the Sudan, and gave him hereby my utmost appreciation for being a caring leader. This man called Al Bashir is a man of his words and from his heart come his words.

Let’s start directly to address this line to the President of the Republic before we hypothesize further about the ‘explosion’ statement. President Al Bashir, Southerners have turned on you to deliver on your promises. You are a serious leader we must not forget. Go peaceful with the South on the border disputes. No Northerner in our memory who’s real about our future as you do; none before you and possibly in the future. Sir, do everything in your power to reign on your hardliners to allow peaceful disengagement between the two countries. You did well to resolve Referendum Commission impasse, you can still do the same on this matter of the border between the North and the South. It can’t take away more lives. Enough has been enough for those bending for war.

To the reader: as you internalize (analyze) the President statement, what comes into your mind? In another word, what do you make of his remarks on that Saturday in Khartoum? Well, I have heard Southerners charged that the President is belligerently out to wage propaganda war in order to intimidate Southerners who are most likely going for secession. Others went traducing the North/NCP and further accuse the President of having declared war against Southerners earlier. I don’t think that is the case. But truly Southerners from every walk of life have a reason here to piece together the President ‘explosion’ remarks. Already our people are much divided about trusting the NCP. On Thursday though, Dr. Riek Gai Khok (from that party) spoke honey and butter. Southerners however expected those words from Dr. Nafia Al Nafia, Dr. Gutbi Ahmed Al Mahdi or Dr. Mustafa Osman Ishmael.

Here we have two positions from the leading two parties (the SPLM & the NCP); one for border demarcation issue sought out before referendum and the other arguing that since this could delay the referendum because of dilly-dally from the other side, the matter should be postpone until later date. Who is therefore right and should be believed? The South/SPLM of course, but I think it is not about who’s right or wrong but whether the border issue could really take the two sides into another war in the first place. Look, both sides have come a long way, and awkward to hear our leaders coming out openly to talk about war again.

For starters, it is good to look at issues in contention at the border between the North and the South. One is the new map different from that of the 1956. The other is the future status or movement of people and goods across the borders. The movements of people looking for grassing land and traders shouldn’t be a deal, but encroachment by Northerners to claim Southern territories. Yet (just to reiterate) the cases in point can not take the two up coming countries into conflict again.

Take for example Joda and its strips leading to oil areas at Western Upper Nile State (not unity state), these areas are exclusively Dinka & Chollo areas, momentarily left to Arab Kala and intruders. Now the North has the stomach to claim them by introducing cosmetic map, what a twist! Even if that is the situation nevertheless, we can still persuade our neighbors in the North to stop entertaining impossibilities and start negotiating on bilateral terms between the two emerging nations. Generally still on this matter, the President has been candid indeed to express a Northern opinion owing to that of the South, but the South has the right to peacefully call the North to abandon Southern territories.

As we call for peaceful resolution of the border issue, there is an urge need to be thorough and proactive because the North has already deployed thousands of its troops at the border, as we speak. The 1/1/1956 border we all know is badly curved inside in favor of the North. We ought to do more ground work to settle border disputes even if that could take back again to the Hague to Arbitration Body. In another word, we must intensify our intention to dialogue to Northerners to stop pushing Southwards. President Al Bashir you have a moral duty to salvage the situation not to explode it.

His Excellency, President Salva Kiir Mayardit and our beloved Vice President Dr. Riek Machar Teny finish the good job you have started together after untimely departure of our icon Dr. John Garang de Mabior. Don’t divorce your partnership with the NCP even in the face of threats. People are beginning to trust your able hands to fulfill what Dr. Garang and his Naivasha team have started. Work closely with President Al Bashir and like minded NCP key members.

Isaiah Abraham is from Juba; he is on [email protected]