Sudan today and tomorrow
By Watts Roba Gibia Nyirigwa*
Feb 23, 2006 — With the signing of peace deal south-north, offers Sudan a fertile ground for nationwide and inclusive peace, if it could be utilized for the best interest of the country. As the peace deal in south could be used as a model for resolving other crisis in Sudan. But it seems that the national congress has not yet shed off its old leaves to welcome the new season with fresh leaves. This mentality of national congress approaches to the events in Sudan is the real obstacle hindering the nationwide and inclusive peace, and its underestimate to SPLM role. National congress presumes that SPLM like other political parties came to power with ambition of satisfying its own political thirstiness. But I think SPLM as a freedom fighter came to power to implement and fulfill its objectives and vision of “New Sudan”. This vision doesn’t imply to south only, but all the marginalized people of Sudan to live in synchronization, freedom, equality, prosperity and respect of human dignity far from oppression and dictatorship. As throughout the past sixteen years of national congress rule, most Sudanese citizens if not all have lost their dedication to the country and instead they have become more devoted to their respective regions. This inclination was not their choice, but was driven to by the behavior of Khartoum government with its discriminative and selective wealth allocation and its concentration in the advance of tripartite capital.
Despite the fact that the current situation in Sudan offers better opportunity for nationwide peace and reconciliation, yet there are signals not in compliance with the real desire and aspiration of Sudanese peoples, due to lack of genuineness and commitment from Khartoum. As since commence of south-north peace deal, there has been continuous setbacks in the peace implementation, which doesn’t offer fertile ground and instead sends wrong signal to Darfur and east peace talks. That is, Khartoum only interested in concluding peace deal but not willing to its implementation! Thus, if the peace implementation between south-north continued at its current pace, it will have negative impact on the entire country’s peace process and Sudan tomorrow. Precisely, Sudan tomorrow depends firstly on changing national congress’ behavior, secondly on fair and letter implementation of south-north treaty and reaching inclusive peace in the whole country.
We can’t talk and vow of making peace attractive to Sudanese peoples while we were lacking mechanism of achieving attractiveness on the actual ground. Peace could be reached in Darfur and east today or tomorrow if there is a real desire and commitment, but that doesn’t constitute attractiveness. The attractiveness is to display government’s true commitment by allocating adequate funds for postwar building to exhibit its real commitment but not words. As south is experiencing now, there was no sincerity and commitment from Khartoum government, no allocation of funds as good motion for the postwar building but instead counting on foreign pledge. This deliberately and premeditated behavior of Khartoum, was meant later to fault Southerners if they choose secession after five years for disintegration of Sudan. Thus, I wonder as whether President al-Bashir actually meant what he said in Juba or he was just flattering around with Southerners, due to very cold reception he received in Juba or was trying to show sense of humor. But on the other hand, he never declared, as whether he would consent south to go with its borders as they stood in 1956 without bloodbath, and without remobilization of Jihad, Popular Defense Forces and Mujahideen against south! Time would tell us the true intentions of al-Bashir and the entire Northern political institutions. But I presume al-Bashir’s art here was to confuse and plant seeds of division among marginalized people, and to weaken their solidarity and struggle for the realization of New Sudan vision.
The scale of distortion in Darfur and cat and mice games in south, doesn’t present propitious future for Sudan tomorrow, except for few selective Sudanese. I am not pessimistic, but the trend of events that Sudan is experiencing, offers little hope for prosperity and country’s adoptability to its actual reality. The Sudan’s reality is its diversity feature, converging point of African and Arab race and culture, its peaceful coexistence is the real challenge to Sudan today and tomorrow. This coexistence has to be cordially and not by imposition of one group to another or otherwise there would be disintegrated Sudan tomorrow. The filthy games in south, was taking various distrusting forms with distorting information to the public opinion. And that was obvious on the row over the oil share for the year 2005 to GOSS, first no share received, then money transaction already done but GOSS lacks capacity! The detailed explanation offered by the president on the issue of oil revenues had satisfied the regional government. The partnership between NC and SPLM was growing everyday! Now South Sudanese were surprised by their leadership that the oil share money has been released but vanished without detailed clarification! And one wonders, as whether the money has been actually transferred or conspiracy involved! This is the behavior and attitude of Sudan today, no concern, transparency and accountability but absolute mismanagement of public fund. Thus, how could we view better prospects for Sudan tomorrow, while there is total egoism and enviousness and everyone is in its own valley, with ultimate desire to wipe off one another! Thus, the motto of Sudan today is that, do not say the truth, be blind and deaf, there is no problem or ethnic cleansing in Darfur, Sudanese people are capable in solving their problems, America wanted to disintegrate and occupy Sudan, we do not need American or UN forces, we just need their aids and assistance, as no one will care for our people as we do or as we are doing in south and Darfur! And that was the motive behind the recent attack on UN envoy in Sudan Pronk by acting Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti for revealing the truth about the actual situation in Sudan, whether being on peace process in south or Darfur crisis. Those are the required characteristics of Sudanese citizens today, who were turned around against their will, always scary, have no say but reciting what has been required, and have no conscience and consciousness of the surrounding environment! And one wonders, as if the censure and detestation against America has reached such stage, why Sudan still looking forward to receiving aids from America, if America is a biggest monster in this world, and why not to boycott American aids, assistance and products? As you can’t reject a meat and accept its soup! In other words, if you have the capacity of solving your own problems, why don’t you clean up your own mess instead of depending on foreign aids to clean up your mess!
* Watts Roba Gibia Nyirigwa is a Sudan Tribune columnist, he can be reached at [email protected]