Deal with SSDF Generals First
By Chuol Wan Luot*
Nov 23, 2005 — Once again, it appears that the end game of SPLM/A in this round of the South-South negotiations is near.
Despite the SSDF strong support of the implementation to the CPA, and their involvement in the security arrangement, there are many obstacles to agreement. Beyond the lack of trust, the unresolved problems between SSDF and SPLM/A are always in the background. The SSDF appears to have tired of the game, and SPLM/A senses victory. There is a threat of renewed fighting between SPLA and SSDF over the entire Southern Sudan, and unless the Americans and EU wake up and take their responsibilities seriously again, their ability to extract concessions from SSDF and the SPLM/A will disappear completely.
With the exception of a very short meeting of SSDF generals in Nairobi with the late Dr. John Garang a few weeks ago, this meeting was their first official one in over 20 years. This would and should have been an important opportunity to show the new SPLM/A leaders that acceptance of South-South Dialogue in the South required the adoption of the basic reconciliation approach and democratic norms. These include an end to support for South-South conflicts in Equatoria, no more repression of opposition groups and minorities, and the development of at least a modicum of freedom and democratic norms. Such values are, in the SSDF view, their most important contributions to the implementation of CPA.
In fact, Mayar Diit and Machar took full advantage of this opportunity, primarily by excluding the SSDF in GOSS, ignoring the fact that it was they who turned down the reconciliation offers from the SSDF. Both President Salva Kier and Vice-President Riek Machar declared that “The South-South Dialogue process…is now at an impasse because of the SSDF’s demands.” They repeated the demand that before any negotiations on military and security take place, the SSDF must agree, in advance, to join the SPLA and disarm the rest. According to one SSDF senior official “It’s clear. It’s categoric. It is not negotiable even if our delegations were headed by Mother Theresa.” Mayar Diit and Machar must know that this is a recipe for preventing any serious South-South Dialogue, and they appear to be using this in order to avoid any major dialogue with the SSDF, while they attempt to consolidate their position by forming the GOSS without the involvement of the SSDF.
As a result, the conflict between SSDF and SPLA will not serve the interests of the South. Both SSDF and SPLA will give up nothing, and their reconciliation will advance the peace agreement and help to prevent any conflict among the Southern Sudanese. Now is the time for the Americans to continue to demand that the SPLA and the SSDF should reconvene the South-South Dialogue as soon as possible; otherwise, all such things as implementation of the CPA, reconstruction and development will not happen, without the need to change policies in the South.
The SPLM leadership did not even attempt to follow the legacy of our Great leader Dr. Garang De-Mabior, but still rejected the SSDF efforts to reconvene South-South Dialogue in Nairobi in the Moi Foundation and also showed little interest in the South-South Dialogue.
Mayar’s visit to Washington did not succeed in focusing attention on the formation of GOSS, GONU and their struggle over the ministry of energy. However, by retreating from reality and avoiding the tough topics, such as South-South Dialogue, in fact, SPLM leaders undermined the prospects for a real peace in South and for the development of a substantive peace agreement in the Sudan. By pursuing very narrow interests, the SPLM leadership missed a rare opportunity to encourage long term change in the political environment in Southern Sudan and the rest of Sudan.
If this is the conclusion, history is likely to be proven wrong, again.
* Chuol Wan Luot, is a member of South Sudan Democratic Forum and a member of advisory to General Paulino Matip, the SSDF Chief of Staffs. He is also M.A student in Conflict Studies at St. Paul University Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Email: [email protected]