How did Sudan’s Bashir feel about Southerners hospitality?

By Garang Ayang Kuoi*

Feb 17, 2006 — On February 15th, 2006, the Sudanese president Omar Hassan al Bashir visit the war ravaged town of Rumbek in South Sudan after more than two decades of civil war between the North and South, al-Bashir was warmly welcomed by the Southerners including the Southern military wing (SPLA) which fought Bashir’s unchangeable government for years. Al-Bashir’s visit to South Sudan towns is brought about the comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which is national congress party (NCP) and the Sudan People’s Liberation movement ( SPLM) signed last year in Nairobi Kenya, ending the longest and the most notorious conflict on the African continent.

As far as Mr. President’s first visit to Rumbek is concerned, he was heartily and faithfully received by the Southerners regardless of unimplemented peace agreement that has been taking Al Bashir so long to make it permanent. He was surrounded by first vice president Salva Kiir who is also the president of the government of the South, and the Lake State governor Mr. Lat, you could see all sort of smiling and elations on his face. He felt at home as he was spiritualized traditionally, bulls and goats were slaughtered for him because of he is the president of Sudan and has never step on the Rumbek soil in his entire life. It was my first time to seeing al-Bashir smiling and enjoyed himself as he did in Rumbek.

Now, I think al-Bashir has felt the goodness of Southerners; his warmly welcomed is a brilliant example of showing him how we the people of Sudan love our nation. However, some one from the South like myself would say that this president was not warmly welcomed because of his good deeds nor do we Southerners like him, but he was welcomed and dignified in the name of our nation that we love, people may loss their dignity some times but the dignity of homeland could not never be thrown away. I was pleased with the way my people had received president al-Bashir in the name of our Sudan even if he has been screwing up our beloved South. Right now we have shown the world an example of our theme as it is not about hatred between the people in the South and the North, but that the government system which based in the north must change the way it operates, so that the freedom and justice would stand on every Sudanese citizen ‘s door, and so that the supreme laws of our home land could be the laws that protect each and everyone of us, so that the democratic system would ring.

Finally, no one is ever free when others are oppressed, and that is why we will never give up until we are all free. It is obvious that al-Bshir’s government might think that we in the South are the one suffering most, of course we have been and are in term of development, but all Sudanese are mentally wounded, because we all think about how we can stop fighting and move on as people of one nation. The Southerners of today are different from the old ones, and that is why he must stop saying the words of mouth, and take necessary actions that would end the war. We have to be absolutely free so that the problems end the CPA must be absolutely implemented and seal or there will be no unity. I appreciate Salva Kiir and the SPLA soldiers who have welcomed him. Their hospitality and kindness has shown the world who we are. I never thought that the SPLA soldiers would one day line-up in an organized parade and Salutes al-Bashir, but they did it for the sake of Sudan( the homeland).

* Garang Ayang Kuoi is based in U.S.A. and can be reach at [email protected]