Dr. David Chand’s accepts SSUDA Chairmanship

September 03, 2006, — Prior to making any statement of acceptance, I would like to inform all members of the Political Executive Bureau (PEB) of SSUDA that it took me a while to response because I had been ill and per my physician advice, I had to rest for a few days. I am sound and exceptionally well now. I hope to resume my normal load of responsibilities and duties as usual. I thank Almighty God and my Physician for the rapid recovery. Now, let us go on to business.

I would like to inform all SSUDA/SSDF members in the Diaspora and in Sudan that I humbly and sincerely accepted the decision made by SSUDA Political Executive Bureau (PEB) to appoint me as the new Chairman on Sunday, August 27, 2006. It was a decisive decision that could not have come too late and too soon. It was the most prudent, decisive and logical undertaking to preserve unity, tranquility, congeniality and collegiality leadership within SSUDA as a democratic mass Party seeking social, political and evolutionary changes in Sudan and South Sudan in particular.

As a purpose driven person, a true believer and highly committed advocate for the right of self-determination for the people of South Sudan, democratic value, and social justice, you can rest assured that I will better serve you and to protect the goals, political aspirations and goodwill of SSUDA/SSDF and Sudanese people and South Sudan in particular.
My political philosophy will take SSUDA to higher heights. Collectively, we can push together through the world systems and institutions the Southern vision for the right of self-determination, sovereignty, and a would-be democratic state in South Sudan.

I am certain that this is the dream of every one of us during the course of more than four decades of armed struggle (1955-1972) and from 1975 up to present. Our struggle for freedom and social justice was hitherto confused and beguiled in the 1980s because of the importation of unclear and confused ideology, autocracy, authoritarianism, fascism and totalitarianism by the ex-SPLM leadership under the late John Garang. The Khartoum Peace Agreement of 1997 advanced our armed struggle on course and one-step in the right direction.

Certainly, the CPA of 2005 is a replication or an extension of the Khartoum Peace Agreement of 1997, does not worth a dime and doomed from its infancy up to now. Therefore, those who boosted for what they did not deserve, would eventually realize that they signed a document contrary to their free will and consent. In other words, it was an unfinished document. In fact, it was a mockery, deception, travesty of justice and democracy because it was not transparent, comprehensive and inclusive.

We, in SSUDA/SSDF determined more then ever to pioneer democracy through dialogue, tolerance, respect for diversity, social equality, and by promoting the culture of peace through Sudan and South Sudan in particular.
SSUDA under my leadership and all the powers invested in me by Political Executive Bureau (PEB), we will collectively push pressured points for dialogue and democracy.

We will also keep all doors open for a meaning dialogue and political communications with the NCP as the ruling party, the “sovereign” government of Sudan, the SPLM, political forces and the civil society. Our goal is to achieve a wholesome functioning Sudanese national interest and the national interest of South Sudan in particular. As Sudanese and South Sudanese in particular, we can be in opposition because we represent a variety of political interests. Nevertheless, the bottom line is that we should preserve at all costs our vital national interest, respect for diversity and the gold rule of democratic principles.

As your Chairman, my leadership will serve on the principle of “power triangle”- that is to say, communication, recognition, and influence. I will not undertake any unilateral decisions that would impede or derail SSUDA’s political aspirations and democratic value. As part of the “leadership” of SSUDA, I will work closely with the “leadership” to promote democratic values in Sudan and South Sudan in particular.

Under my leadership, I will work with the PEB to expand SSUDA to make contacts with the sovereign government of Sudan and the SPLM for dialogue and preservation of our vital national interest, peace and security of our people, development and denunciation of all belligerencies. We would also expand our horizon in the Western world as well as in non-Western capitals. We will also seek to a meaningful dialogue with the de facto one-party and one-ethnic controlled government in Juba for democratization, good governance, and the rule of law, transparency and accountability, power and resources sharing, combating corruption in government, human rights protection as well as Security Arrangement to preserve Southern unity.

In addition, we call for an immediate and unconditional cessation of all military hostilities currently between the southern rival factions, vis-à-vis, the SSDF and the SPLA. SSUDA/SSDF leadership will drop the ball on the SPLM’s court. We hope the SPLM leadership will accept this new green olive leave and adheres to these new voices of reason and reasonableness.

I sincerely call on the SPLM leadership to halt all human rights violations currently taking place throughout South Sudan against the innocent civilian population and to stop provocation of launching military aggression against SSDF positions. The SPLM/A leadership should now underscore and know that SSUDA/SSDF has the ability and the capacity to strike on the SPLA positions at anytime, anywhere, and at any place throughout south Sudan, including Juba itself. Therefore, will be no safe heaven in the South as long as the SPLM leadership continuously declaring war that it does not have capacity and the ability to fight and win. They should know by now that this could have serious consequences for the South and the unity of its people. Nevertheless, SSUDA/SSDF is committed to peaceful and political conflict resolution and mutual understanding among the people of South Sudan.
Most importantly, as Southerners we should dialogue to strategize and charter the course of our desire for the exercise of the right of self-determination through an internationally supervised referendum. The Khartoum/Fashoda Peace Agreements signed on 21 April 1997 with the GOS reaffirmed referendum and reiterated in the recently signed CPA between the GOS and the SPLM on 9 January 2005. Our experience shown that it was impractical, if not impossible, to be implement the KPA because the SPLA refused to be part of the KPA in 1997. We also believe that it would be impractical, if not impossible, to implement the current CPA if SSUDA/SSDF is excluded. In others, this a vicious cycle. Therefore, if the desire of the international community, the GOS, the IGAD mediators and the SPLM would be to implement the CPA, it is necessary that ways and means through dialogue to incorporate the SSUDA/SSDF into the CPA and can be achieved through a meaningful dialogue on the protocols of power and resources sharing, development, and security arrangement.

I thank the SSUDA Executive’s for giving me this opportunity and the privilege to serve. I shall humbly ask Almighty God to me give power, direction, wisdom, clear conscience and the ability to lead and to make the right decisions that would be acceptable for the service of my fellow SSUDA/SSDF members, the people of Sudan and South Sudan in particular, colleagues and the foes alike. I know that God will surely guide me even though I walk before the shadow of enemies and I will fear no evil…. I know that God is with me, and who will be against me? I will do the right things, my work under God’s guidance and I will faithfully respect, honor and abide with the constitution and by laws of SSUDA/SSDF thereunto, and so, help me God.

Thank you and God bless you all.

Signed: Professor David de Chand, Chairman of SSUDA
Email, [email protected]