“Hoist the National Flag”, Sudan FVP tells E. Equatoria Governor
By Ohiyok D. Oduho
Feb 19, 2007 — The Governor of Eastern Equatoria State (EES), Aloysius Emor Ojetuk, said in the Sdan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) Leadership Council meetings concluded in Yei on February 12th, 2007 that, “SPLM must seek for the bigger leg in the forthcoming elections of 2008. By bigger leg, I mean an SPLM member to rule the Sudan”, (Sudan Tribune newspaper, February 11th, 2007, p.2).
H.E. Lt-Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, Chairman of SPLM, President of government of South Sudan (GoSS) and C-in-C of Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), visited Torit, the temporary capital of EES recently. Reports from Torit say H.E. Lt-Gen. Kiir noticed that the Sudanese flag was missing in the entire State. He told the Governor to hoist the Sudanese flag, saying “look at my vehicle and see a Sudanese flag on the other side of the vehicle.”
The Governor himself had ordered the removal and the replacement of the national flag by that of the SPLM (not South Sudanese, which has no flag). It’s noteworthy to state here that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) affirms the unity of the country and its national flag throughout the Interim Period (IP).
The Governor calls members of the previous governments in the State as Ma’rasin (Arabic word for ‘pimps’, Modern Written Arabic Dictionary, (1974:602). The Governor is so allergic to Muslims, Arabs and indeed those who worked with the government before the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
The Governor had arrested and severely tortured a Joint Integrated Units (JIUs) Major from the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) command in Torit. JIUs is composed of 12,000 officers and men, and similar number from SPLA, to constitute a sovereign army during the IP.
The Governor and his likes had continuously accused the Equatoria Defense Force (EDF) of being responsible for the attacks along Juba-Torit and Juba-Nimule roads as well as the suburbs of Torit town. The remaining 400 EDF officers and men who could not be absorbed into the SAF had reconciled with the Governor and other top SPLA officers but attacks remain upto this very moment. The only relieving thing from all these, is the Governor’s reference to the recent Juba-Torit and Juba-Nimule roads violent attacks perpetrators as the ‘Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).’ One sincerely hopes that it’s the LRA doing this and not some disgruntled elements elsewhere within the South.
It is, thus, interesting to hear the Governor suggesting in the SPLM Leadership Council meetings that an SPLM should stand for the presidency of the Sudan. This is a none starter situation because in partnerships (as is the case between SPLM and the National Congress Party (NCP)) agreements based on sincere partnerships decide on who should stand for presidency. Even if there is no agreement you cannot hate your main partner and publicly break the bridges that connect you, the partner and your supporters, because both of you have shares, no matter how varied are the percentages.
What seems to be the case is that the Governor forgot that he and his likes within the SPLM/A have broken the bridges linking the SPLM to the rest of the Sudan, particularly the South, by employing the politics of disunity, racism and hate.
It’s difficult to comprehend how the Governor would want SPLM to win the 2008 elections when the electorates both Northern and South Sudanese (referred to above as shares) have been made to understand and see how much they are disliked by the SPLM as a party and SPLA as its army. They heard in the past how the SPLM/A was run. Nowadays they seem to be confirming what they disregarded once as hearsay. Confirmed or not there has never been a smoke without fire.
Perhaps the Governor has to start from home by embarking on a reconciliation programme between his SPLM/A and the members of the National Congress Party (NCP) in his State. The Governor once had an opportunity because sometimes last year he held a meeting with some of the faction leaders in EES and process to follow was laid down. It did not happen, even though the meeting was attended by the Vice-President of GoSS. It’s not too late; the Governor ought to seriously embark on a reconciliation process within his own State as a first step; and then move on to the second step, which is the respect for Sudan’s unity and sovereignty during the IP. The Governor should know that as a Governor, he represents Sudan’s sovereignty and as such must respect the use of the national symbol, the Sudanese flag.
* The author of this article is Ohiyok D. Oduho, a columnist with Sudan Vision Daily. He can be reached on [email protected]