Give Salav Kiir a chance
By Peter Magai Bul
September 23, 2005 — Formation of Government of National Unity (GNU) as announced last Tuesday,
has severely increased anger among the Southerners, who had already lost
million of comrades including our prominent most trusted hero first vice
president of the Republic of the Sudan and president of the autonomous South
Sudan, and commander-in-chief of the SPLA, Dr. John Garang de Mabior, for
the right of self determination and the unity of marginilized people of
Sudan. There is no doubt that present of massive troops around and within
Khartoum at the time of the announcement of the so called Government of
National Unity was a signal that Bashire has once again declare war against
Southerner despite their decisive structuring of GNU of which SPLA was only
awarded a foreign Minister leaving the most important positions such as
defence, interior, energy, and finance to the National Congress Party.
Such a decisive formation of GNU is an indication that our northern Sudanese claimed victory over Dr. John Garang assassination as many southerners
believe so while forgetting that Sudan will never be the same again even if
their terror act continue to put Sudanese in the south, north, west, and
east at risk. Their disunity and mistreatment of the Sudanese majority back
population in the south, north, west, and east always leave me with the
question of what kind of life do Arab minority hope for their future
generation once their domination, oppression, or superiority over black
African majority one time disappear as I undoubtedly vision it.
Our citizens in the north may be unwilling to welcome peace because
they think south’s oil rich money has been the source of their weapon and
economic development mainly for them. However, their unwillingness to share
the power and country resource could continue to promote hatred among the
Sudanese whom they will once time face the consequences of such act whether
Sudan remain united or separated after six years.
As for southerners or black Africans in general, their inexperience in
public and lack of education had prevented them from identifying who the
target was in Sudan, but perhaps many Africans are aware now. This war
would have not taken so long if the northern-dominated government wasn’t
successful of playing games among the southerners or black African. Dispute
over energy position should not be allowed to jeopardize the Comprehensive
Peace Agreement (CPA). 50 percentage of oil shares is better compared to
zero percentage share Southerners have been getting since the discovering of
oil in their territory. Present of international community organizations in
the south because of the recent CPA should not be allow to slip away simply
because of frustration over energy position.
Southerners who called upon Salva Kiir “to step down from the presidency of
the South” as reported by Khartoum Monitor Michael Koma should first weight
the advantages and disadvantages of such action. If its took more than a
month for the GNU to be formed as a result of Dr. John Garang’s death, then
how long will its takes for Southerners to find a president to replace Salva
Kiir? This is clearly a delay of peace implementation although I don’t even
believe if Southerners will find it easy to come up with another trusted
president other than president Kiir.
I never dream of Salva Kiir as person who have the wisdom and experience to
successfully govern the South, but we, the people of South, should support
him for the seek of unity besides the fact that blood of Sudanese heroes who
sacrificed themselves for freedom can give him the wisdom to effectively
rule and continue with SPLA vision. Southerners, who are conquered by the
anger of evil formation of GNU and therefore, called for Salva Kiir to step
down, must think twice and swallow their anger to give unity a chance.
People of Southern Sudan must recognize the effort Kenya within IGAD, United
States, UN, Norway, and international community in general, put on the CPA
that took 2 years of negotiation even if the Bashire’s NCP/NIF took it for
guaranteed.
I am calling upon the citizen of Southern Sudan to be patience and allow the
Government of South Sudan (GONU) a chance to practice system of its
governing in regard to its recent constitution since such opportunity have
never exist before.
/Peter Magai Bul a Sudanese living in Chicago, IL, USA.