Khartoum, the regime that never changed over time
By Steve Paterno
May 20, 2005 — If one hears of news of peace between the regime in Khartoum and the SPLA/M, a Southern Sudanese rebel while somehow pretend to ignore what is taking place at the western part of Sudan in the region of Durfur, one would come to the conclusion that the regime in Khartoum has taken a complete turn in its behaviors of marginalizing the citizens of Southern Sudan by accepting a comprehensive peace deal that guarantees the Southerners to have the rights to even self-determination in a referendum after the interim period of six years. However, the recent images and incident of forceful relocations of internally displaced persons (IDP) of Southern Sudanese from the Soba Aradi resettlement camp by the Islamic regime in Khartoum-the incident that resulted into the death of the several civilians indicated that this regime is still as rigid, brutal, and as threatening to the citizens of Southern Sudan as it was when it first took power. And it also shows that this regime still does not adhere to the legal international standard of protecting all of the Sudanese citizens as it obliged to.
There was no doubt when this current Islamic regime took power in a coup detat, on the top of its agenda was to crash any southern rebellion through military means. As soon as this regime took power, its biggest emphasis was on a military buildup that include the upgrading of its weaponry systems to the forging of new ways of recruitment for the purpose of fighting the Southerners such as invoking jihadism and establishing other paramilitary units that have been operational over the years. The determination and willingness from this regime to use military force as a means of dealing with Southerners had greatly led to the escalation of war that resulted to the death of thousands, destruction of properties, and a massive relocations of internally displaced persons from South to the North. This escalation of war brought the numbers of the internally displace persons by the U.N. estimate to over four millions people. By far, Sudan is holding a record of the largest population of internally displaced persons in the world, a challenge that would have provided Khartoum with a role of being careful and sensitive in handling the situations of the internally displaced persons.
Worse, the regime in Khartoum established as its policies to forcefully relocating the internally displaced persons who happen to resettle in North, those who resettled around Khartoum in particular. The policies of the “National Displaced Conference”, that was held in 1990 gave the government authority to clear what it perceives unauthorized settlers, the settlers who all happen to be the internally displaced persons from the war ravaged South who seek refuge in Northern part of the country. Over the years, the regime in Khartoum systematically removes by force the internally displaced persons in a clear violation of international laws and in a violation of any laws ever created by decent living human being on planet earth. The living standard in the camps that the regime always forcing to relocate people into are defined in worst human terms and conditions such as lacking adequate facilities and services and in remote desert areas where there are no running water and other basic human necessities. The U.N. and other international organizations have been making several attempts so that the regime in Khartoum abandons its policies of forceful relocation of the internally displaced persons and adhere to the international rules and norms, however, such attempts have always miserable failed as Khartoum are not held accountable for such heinous acts against humanity.
Despite the fact that Khartoum has signed a comprehensive peace deal with Southerners and it vows that it will make unity attractive so that the Southerners vote for unity in the referendum after six years, this recent incident of forceful relocation of Southerners dictates that Khartoum chooses to make unity attractive by way of forces. In other words, Khartoum is signaling to its partner in peace the former Southern rebels, the SPLA/M that it stills has grip of power and that it can use powers as much as it pleases to further its agendas. Such abuse of powers by Khartoum places greater challenges for the SPLA/M, which its partnership is been undermined by the Khartoum using powers with impunity against Southerners whom SPLA/M suppose to protect. Now it is high time for the SPLA/M to demonstrate that it is capable of protecting the lives and wellbeing of Southerners by acting decisively in dealing with Khartoum regime. By not acting decisively and appropriately, the regime in Khartoum will strengthen its resolve by acting with impunity against Southerners at any time in any part of the country.
The SPLA/M must set its own separate and independent investigation on to the incident that led to lose of lives and finally able to bring justice to those responsible. If needed to, the SPLA/M must bring its own security forces apart from those under security arrangement, to protect the internally displaced persons of Southern origin in their displaced camps in the northern part of Sudan as they are the most vulnerable. The deployment of SPLA security forces in the north can be justified on the ground that the regime in Khartoum is not capable of protecting the lives and security of the internally displaced persons who are Southern Sudanese and such deployment should be on a temporary basis until those Southerners who are settling in the North are relocated into the South through a voluntary and appropriate methods of relocations. Therefore, the SPLA must step to the plate in protecting the citizens of the South. Besides, it is the sole responsibility of the SPLA to protect the citizens of the south. Otherwise, the Southerners will continue to suffer under the hands of the Islamic regime in Khartoum.
* Steve Paternois a Sudanese living in the U.S.