The fragile partnership

Watts Roba Gibia Nyirigwa*

Dec 13, 2005 — The partnership whether being in business or government, is normally built on trust, confidence and mutual understanding between the two parties, with clear guidelines and modalities for the mutual interest of both parties. And every party has got its duties and responsibilities to deliver in accordance to the terms and powers bestowed to each partner. And non-compliance with the partnership agreement, habitually leads to the crumple of the firm or the government. And that is the actual quandary with the partnership and in particular if the two partners have got different ideology and vision, and in such case they are two parallel lines and void to exist. To have a viable and long term partnership, the two parties should have same philosophy, strategy and policy to execute for the welfare of the firm or government but not a bogus partnership.

I believe that the partnership between the SPLM and NCP was based on the national interest of the country and not on one party’s empowerment. But it seems that was not the case, as if we have a comprehensive look at the relating events in Sudan since signing of the agreement on January 9, 2005, it was apparent that due to the international pressure and isolation of Sudanese government from the international community, NCP decided to sign the peace deal with south to silence the gun and rectify her image, and also instead of fighting South and Darfur at same juncture, she prefers to deal with each conflict in isolation. And indeed she was pretty smart in her maneuver, by dividing or confusing world opinion and to give peace its chance in South Sudan, while intensifying its war in Darfur.

The partnership between the SPLM and NCP is very fragile with lots of ups and downs, due to lack of trust, confidence and each party’s vision on New Sudan. This fragile partnership became apparent at the stance of NCP to have control over the two economic sectors. SPLM was insisting to have the control of ministry of energy and refusing any compromise on the issue. On September 16, 2005 senior SPLM official Pagan Amun said that they were working intensively to overcome the issue of ministry of energy, and that if the alternatives that are being presented are rejected, they will have no choice but to go not only to the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) but to the international community to intervene in a bid to settle the dispute! Southerners were pleased with the struggling spirit and stand of their leaders to seek an international arbitration, if the ministry of energy and mining not conferred to the SPLM. But Southerners were dismayed on September 20, 2005 when the ministry was conferred to NCP, and it was widely perceived by Southerners as a deprivation and trounce.

Another partnership fragility is on the administration of the capital Khartoum, as according to Walid Hamid that SPLM failed to reach an agreement with the NCP on the administration of Khartoum, and that SPLM for the time being was contented with raising its recommendations to the leader of the SPLM, and that the NCP’s position may lead to the obstruction of much of what was agreed upon, particularly as all the clauses of the peace agreement were apparent. And to date, the issue has been on hold and no one knows for sure as what exactly is going on.

Another sign of frailty and lack of confidence emerged on Monday, December 5, 2005 when Deng Alor Minister of Cabinet Affairs became critical and could no longer hold his emotions, and for the first time since formation of the government of national unity, senior SPLM official voicing his discontent on what he termed “slowness in the application of the peace agreement triggered doubts and suspicion about the stance of the national congress party”. Alor went on to say that, his group will seek international pressures on Sudanese President al-Bashir to prompt implementation of peace accords, especially an international arbitration ruling on the disputed Abyei region. Aggravated with highly struggling spirit, Deng Alor was more critical on the government’s shifty attitude to implementing the international ruling on Abyei, and said that SPLM/A will resort to the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to exert strong pressure on Sudanese government to implement the protocol that decided the fate of Abyei, and said that we will not accept to go back to negotiations over the region of Abyei, but expressed his desire on dialogue securing the peaceful coexistence which existed in the past before the region was disputed between the north and south.

Based on these facts, one is wondering as whether SPLM officials have sidelined their main course and principles of struggling, or they were lost in this wild and vast town? I believe the honeymoon is already over, and the SPLM officials are able to know their peace partner in its true gown, and have to reject to be dressed in their partner’s robe but to preserve their entity and integrity. It is very important for us to note that, despite the enormous tasks before us, we need not to forget or diverge from our actual course. That is, we need not to come up with empty and vocal articulations, but we have to be up to our words collectively, meaning, not to say something on one hand and do something else on the other hand. And that was obvious on the issue of the oil sector which proved our faltering position by conferring the most essential elements in the advance of South Sudan.

Nevertheless, now we are at scary enticement with yet another crucial issue which touches every South Sudanese, and no less significance than oil which is Abyei. The Abyei boundaries commission report, conclusions, final and binding decision were made apparent to the just and fair ruling, and to the satisfaction of both parties, based on the actual fact findings on the ground. But yet al-Bashir’s government expressed reservations on the ruling! The intentions of the NCP are clear, and that was evident in the delayed formation of Petroleum and Cease Fire Commissions by President al-Bashir and his evasive attitude on the peace process. The expressed reservation by al-Bashir’s NCP doesn’t emerge from vacuum, but due to Abyei’s proximity to the oil production area. We should not let the NCP government to implement its filthy intentions on moving the border south-ward to have the run of oil regions, and particularly the boundary in the grave oil production areas in Upper Nile province. There should be no compromise under any circumstances on our land or its piece, and the intact innate riches, as it is not a point for political maneuvers and negotiation.

* Watts Roba Gibia Nyirigwa a Sudanese based in Cairo – Egypt, E-mail: [email protected]