Sudan’s Bashir must start doing the right things

Until Bashir Stops Speaking And Starts Doing The Right Things There Are Doubts

By Awolich de Nyuat*

Feb 15, 2006 — I was surprised by the recent visit of president Bashir’s visit to Juba and appalled by his speech. I wrote several articles calling for Bashir’s visit to the South to show seriousness. He finally did but what is the implication of his visit and what he actually meant by his words. I do not first of all agree that Bashir meant what he said when said that “Southerners are free to vote for separation and no body would force them to accept unity.” This is not true Bashir is planning on forcing Southerners to accept unity that is why he has been busy buying fighter jets from Eastern Europe and refuse to give Southerners their oil share. Bashir is planning on weakening Southerners that’s why his government continues to support the militia groups in Upper Nile region to destabilize the region.

Bashir also is over looking the national interim constitution that is why he endorsed the 6 provisions that contradict the constitution. If he can disrespect the national constitution, what is the guarantee that he will respect the separation of the South? Why does it take a year for Bashir to arrange his visit to the South if he cares and serious about this peace accord? Why is it so hard for Bashir to endorse the report of the Abyei Border Commission? Why it is so hard for Bashir’s minister of finance and minister of oil and mining to make correct calculations of the actual oil output per day in barrels? Why didn’t Bashir withdraw his occupying army out of Juba, Malakal, Wau, Torit and Bintiu etc as agreed in the CPA?

Did Bashir really meant to have the LRA leave South Sudan or is it another way of saying that we will arm the LRA and the South Sudan Government and the SPLA will be kept busy fighting it while the SAF plans for other moves. I would say that it only makes sense for the government of South Sudan to deal with the issue of the militias but a foreign army must be dealt with by the joint unit and the government of National Unity because it is classified as a foreign aggression. After all, it was Bashir’s own creation and therefore, SPLA must not clean after Bashir. Seriously, Bashir needs to call Konyi and tell him directly that the business we were running is over period. There is no body suit better for getting the LRA to leave the South Sudan than Bashir’s army. I mean the joined forces of the SPLA and Bashir’s army can get the job done.

This is the second time Bashir attempts to make the SPLA clean up after his mess. The first time Bashir did this and was successful was giving the SPLM the position of foreign ministry just to clean up his trashed records in the eyes of the international community. It was not intended that Sudan foreign policy would change with the SPLM member in the top diplomatic position. Now Dr. Lam who could have done a lot more is being told what to say by Bashir but not what he thinks. What a waste of a great mind. If Sudan’s foreign policy was change from that of an Islamic State to a secular State the SPLM must exert its influence in the foreign policy and Dr. Akol must speak his mind as the chief foreign policy diplomat in Sudan. There has to be a change in policy so that we know our involvement makes a difference. The point is, there has to be a move away from the old regime to a new era. No more new wine in the old vessel.

Finally, the essence of my article is that Bashir must start doing the right things not saying the right things. It is one thing to say the right things; it is yet another thing to do the right things. We do not value statements of a person who on numerous occasions lied to the people of the South Sudan. Just as it took Bashir one year to trust the people of the South Sudan and started visiting, it will take probably five years for people in the South to start taking by Bashir’s statements seriously. This will only happen if all the provisions of the CPA are implemented and some critical issues such the withdrawal of the army and the implementation of the Abyei Border Commission Reported are dealt with sincerely. Hypocrisy is something we have known for a long time. I wait for serious actions to begin to trust president Bashir’s statements for words are nothing but empty vessels and only actions can fill up the vessels.

* Awolich de Nyuat, is Student at the University of Vermont- USA.