The Need for the SPLM/A 2nd National Convention

By Amir Idris*

Jan 8, 2005 — The purpose of writing this modest piece is not to attack the current leadership of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A). Rather it is to encourage both the leadership and the members of the SPLM/A to engage in constructive conversations on the state of the SPLM/A in the post-war period.

The signing of the ?Comprehensive Peace Agreement’ (CPA) on January 9, 2005, and the untimely death of Dr. John Garang de Mabior, former First Vice President of Sudan and leader of the SPLM/A, on July 30, 2005, have ushered a new era in the political history of Sudan. While the CPA officially ended the war between the Government of Khartoum and the SPLM/A, the CPA has failed to address the underlying causes of the conflict. Although the NCP has made some cosmetic changes at the administrative and structural level to accommodate the SPLM/A, the ideological and political principles of the old regime remain in place. Sadly, the old regime of the National Congress Party (NCP) continues to dominate the Government of National Unity. The NCP also lacks the political commitment to embrace genuine power sharing, and elections.

The death of Dr. John Garang de Mabior has also exposed the political and structural weaknesses of the SPLM/A, and the inability of the current leadership to cope with the new reality of the post-war period. The SPLM/A currently lacks a clear political vision and a sustainable strategy for social and economic development that are capable of confronting the challenges of the post-war period. The new leadership has yet to articulate a political vision and acceptable principles of governance that could transform the movement into a competitive and an inclusive political force. More importantly, the SPLM/A has to strengthen its capacity to fulfill two important tasks: confronting the NCP violations of the CPA, and building democratic political institutions that carry the processes of peacebuilding and development of Southern Sudan successfully.

Currently, there is a growing frustration among many members and supporters of the SPLM/A as the expectations of the peace have not been realized. Of course, the first National Convention of 1994 had set up the rules and principles of governing and conducting the internal affairs of the SPLM/A. It is true that the SPLM/A needs to make some fundamental changes in the way it operate. These changes, however, can not be made unless the leadership convenes a 2nd National Convention. The 2nd National Convention is timely important for the following reasons:

1. To formulate a clear political vision and strategy for the post-war period. The period of the post-war requires the SPLM/A to come up with a realistic vision that takes into consideration both the signing of the CPA and the NCP behavior and tactics during the implementation phase.

2. To outline a clear timetable for the process of internal democratization and transition to government.

3. To set up measures to ensure the sustainability of the pecaebuilding process and development in Southern Sudan.

4. To consolidate the unity of the SPLM/A by giving the new leadership the chance to seek legitimacy from the 2nd National Convention.

Amir Idris, An assistant Professor of African Studies, Dept. of African and African American Studies, Fordham University, New York City. He is the author of Sudan’s Civil War (2001) and Conflict and Politics of Identity in Sudan (2005).