The Referendum Anxiety

The Referendum Anxiety

By Roba Gibia

October 2, 2010 – The great African freedom fighter icon Mr. Nelson Mandela said “There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desire”. And this is the situation with us in South Sudan, where people of South has been living in absolute enchainment and has not tasted any kind of freedom for more than half century. Therefore, the last phase of CPA implementation which is referendum for people of South and Abyei is not an easy walk, but rather it seems we have to pass through the valley of shadow of death again and again before we could make the final walk to freedom. This is partly because we South Sudanese allowed ourselves to be blackmailed and manipulated by Khartoum, and never stayed on course but fluctuating left and right, because we are ravenous people looking only for self-enhancement instead of self-denial and sacrifice for freedom. But I believe the current row, trepidation and referendum anxiety in South and Abyei which the ruling party in the north want to jeopardize and block it, will act as catalyst or an eye opener to open the eyes of South Sudanese people and especially unionists to figure out as whether the Islamic radicals in Khartoum or north are their really brothers and sisters. Thus, we South Sudanese people, let us not make any mistake to make unity with Khartoum on old and false basis, because we will regret tomorrow. Khartoum never wanted unity with us, but their camouflage unity is basically to control our natural resources and to build their robust military capabilities to do away with Southerners. Thus, are we Southerners still wanted to remain spectators, while our own resources being managed by Khartoum!

I would like to make my humble opinion very clear here that, when Khartoum signed peace agreement on January 9, 2005, it never considered referendum issue serious, believing that Southerners could be easily manipulated and forced into unity with north like it happened in Juba round table conference in 1947. Thus, after realizing that Southerners are going to vote unanimously for secession, Khartoum started playing delaying tactics that delayed census and general elections profoundly and placement of conditions to recognize South Sudan’s referendum results, in which outrageously we ducked to. The NCP conditioning of 50%+1 and 60% quorum from the total turnover from the registered voters to recognize South Sudan’s referendum results was the first in its kind in the world, because it was never conditioned in East Timor, Eritrea and Montenegro, then why in South Sudan’s referendum, make no mistake just because of oil! Beside that NCP is vigorously campaigning for fake and forceful unity of Sudan on its own style and not on new dimensions, but on imposition of Arabism, Islamic religion and Sharia law. And that was evident, as when NCP came to power by coup in 1989 it stopped teaching history of Arab entrance to Sudan in schools. Why? To justify that Arabs were there in Sudan since the partition of Africa and Sudan, but how they (NCP) can justify opening of Egypt by Amro bin-al-As and consequently entrance of Arabs and Islam to Sudan! Therefore, those who allege to be Arabs, conquered and hijacked Sudan to an Arab country, and calling today on youth and students in the name of Arabism to defend Sudan from indigenous black Sudanese, believe me, they are not Sudanese but intruders and occupants of black Sudanese peoples’ land.

The current looming clouds of anxiety, row over referendum and South Sudan’s possible secession has made South Sudanese people living in north Sudan, to be in state of trepidation and anxiety. The behavior of NCP leadership towards South Sudan’s referenda and terrorizing statements and call to prepare for war, indicates ruling clique’s desperation and political bankruptcy. I do not believe that NCP’s intimidation and pestering to force unity on the people of South will thrive, and even could not concur with some northern analysts who claim that majority of South Sudanese people are for unity but being barred by GoSS to express their opinion candidly. This is absolutely misleading information to distort the reality and public opinion in South. Look South has lost more than 3 million lives in the course of freedom, and hundred thousands of innocent and unarmed civilians were massacred by helicopter gun-ships around the oil fields and declaration of Jihad and Holy war against people of South, during the SPLM/A liberation movement, will still overall majority of South Sudanese people prefer unity with killers and bloodsuckers!

As Sudanese, let us try to be realistic with ourselves first and then with the entire Sudan’s situation even though how painful it is, so that a durable solution could be found to resolve Sudan’s chronic crisis and not by twisting hands, forced unity and beating of war drums. The referendum anxiety, beating of war drums and dismay statements by NCP leadership, including presidential advisor Mustafa Osman Ismail’s in Kassala, does constitute beyond doubt that Southerners are not brothers to northerners. Despite the fact that he said that they (NCP) are peace lovers, then who doesn’t love peace, Southerners, because they wanted to separate from north, and why they (Southerners) wanted to secede from north? This is the key question that NCP leadership and entire northern political parties have to acknowledge and to those who wanted to impose unity on Southerners. But make no mistake that this forced unity will never happen, because we Southerners are ready to defend ourselves and our land to the last man in South.

Therefore, I do consent with Malcolm X when he said “I believe in the brotherhood of man, all men, but I do not believe in brotherhood with anybody who doesn’t want brotherhood with me. I believe in treating people right, but I am not going to waste my time trying to treat somebody right who doesn’t know to return the treatment”. This is the exact situation between South and Jalaba/Mudukurat in north, so we Southerners do not want brotherhood with Jalaba, because they do not want brotherhood with us. The brotherhood and unity Khartoum is portraying, was or is based on sucking South Sudanese bloods but not a real existing brotherhood between the mankind and civilized nations. Hence, I believe the statement of Malcolm X is more pertinent and obvious to our South Sudanese situation and existence.

The author is a regular contributor to Sudan Tribune he can be reached at: [email protected]