Juba appeal isn’t enough to attract Unity
By Garang Ayang Kuoi*
Feb 15, 2006 — On Monday February 13, 2006, the Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir made unusual visit to the Southern Town of Juba and addressed the public about the progress he and his national congress party (NCP) are making in order to make the unity between the North and the South more attractive. This speech in which he indicated that the Southerners are not obligated to vote for unity nor separation after the six years of interim period is view as one of the greatest accomplishment the president has ever made since the signing of comprehensive peace agreement( CPA) last year in Nairobi Kenya, ending more than two decades of conflict between North and the South, but however, some others including myself are less convinced that the president meant what he said, given the fact that unity in which he have talked about is the last thing after the peace agreement principles which have not been addressed by the president yet.
None of these principles has been implemented by the president and his National Congress Party (NCP) since the signing of the peace agreement. Based on these principles, the Khartoum government was supposed to withdraw its troops and security forces in all Southern towns, and move them back to the North, but as the peace has been dying days by days, weeks by weeks, and months for unknown reasons, the Sudan security forces have not been withdrawn until this day. This shows that our partners and who are indeed our brothers in the North are ironically unwilling to cooperate with us in the South to achieve the unity in which we all need. Khartoum’s refusal to abide by the peace agreement principles has caused a high level of internal fear in Southern Sudanese people and nation at large that things might be falling apart as before(1972 agreement), and that the chaos in which we taught it was gone will possibly come back to us.
Thirdly, the second principle of the peace agreement was the sharing of power and wealth. Until now, sharing is from no where to be seen, rather than national congress benefiting from the oil revenues meanwhile the obliterated South is still devastated as before, and however, president al-Bashir has never mentioned anything about the development of the South and how he can capture the attention of angry Southerners who have bitterly fought Khartoum for years just for the sake of justice and equality for all, and so that they can be attracted by the so called unity. How can Mr. President capture the Southerners attention when he has already failed to have a political approach to the Southerners rather than his militarism? a political approach that could win the hearts of people so that they can have little understanding about president’s vision toward our country after the long years of hatred and killing. How can he win the Southerners hearts and trustworthiness when he has failed to have a political dynamic that can legitimately describes motions and goals he is intended to accomplish so that bad tensions and feelings would go away in people’s minds and reconstruct their country for the bitterness of upcoming generations?
As people of the Sudan, majority of the people have been effecting president al-Bashir to remind the people of Sudan about the on going investigation of untimely death of John Garang, update people about the progress that the investigating team is making, but he has failed to do so, hence, in what way is he making the unity attractive when he does not have a political ideology or a basic belief that can attract people on his side? He does not know that his silence on such issues like these have impact on his political image acceptation of the fact that he is a fortunate leader with total power who does not worry about critiques. This president has lots of work to do before he talks about the unity of the South and North.
Perhaps, the president’s speech was an excellence moved every leader can make, but I personally doubt’s words because when he came to Juba and addressed the Southern populations, he should have began addressing with the goals he would like to achieve after all these years of fighting, he should have highlighted views for the future of the Sudan and its generations to come so that we the people of South Sudan would have some feelings about him as the man is faithfully interested in unity, because our objectives have been so clear to the Khartoum that breaking away of southerners from Khartoum has not been a theme in which the SPLM/SPLA are intended to, but equal justice and liberty for every citizen under the law. He was supposed to briefed the entire nation of Southern Sudan about why is the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement(CPA) is taking so long, tell the people verify why the oil revenues have not been share yet, why the Sudan security forces are still in the South. He was supposed to talk about the forgotten youth of the Sudan, the youth that has been under conflict and hatred for years, how he can bring them together so that they can work hand in hand as one citizen for the stability of their country. But unfortunately, he has not done so because he stands side by side, in other word, war side and obligated peace side. Mr. President think that people are exhausted by war and would surrender their rights and lives to oppression, but is it going to happen? Absolutely not. Justice for all is what we need and legitimates reason for unity.
In conclusion, there is a room for unity of our people, but their unity must be faithfully and legitimately executed before them so that it will last forever. The out standing issues that have been obligating our peace must first and foremost be addressed before the unity attraction or we will win unwon goal. Leaving these obligations behind and bring unity before them can not and will not bring what we want as oneness of one nation to our lives. If al-Bashir think that he is a president of the people, and that his government is a government of the people, then he must implement the CPA and some out standing conflicts that are in every corner of the country such as the Darfur and Eastern Sudan conflicts, then he can start talking about the unity. We do not need to be told to break away nor do we need to be told to remain with Khartoum, we must separate or we will unite if there will be need to remain united. His speech was not too bad, but he needs to work harder to tackle the out standing issues that obligate the peace and the prosperity of the Sudan.
* Garang Ayang Kuoi is based in U.S.A., he can be reach at [email protected]