The Unfinished Business of the Sudanese Presidency
By Peter Lokarlo Marsu
Marchal 11, 2007 — The trio (Omar Al Bashir, Salva Kiir and Ali Osman Taha) have at last snatched a rare opportunity and been able to meet and thrash out the security entanglement dogging the country now for over two years notwithstanding the coming into force of the CPA. According to Mahjoub Fadl Badri, the presidential Secretary, the party discussed matters pertaining to the implementation of the Security arrangements enshrined in the CPA. That is commendable, but when do we expect similar move on the other vital pending issues? Whether this accomplishment was a consequence of pre-set design or emanating from concerted local and international pressure on the obdurate National Congress Party (NCP), is yet to be deciphered. Admittedly, there are a number of contentious and blistering issues on the table that must be prioritised and looked into.
On Al Bashir’s pending tray of unfinished business are other equally imperative and pressing issues to deal with.
– The Abyei expert Report has never been taken on board by the trio presidency. I hope President Kiir is sentient of this untoward debacle,
– The border demarcation- a cardinal CPA’s stipulation has largely been ignored by Omar Al Bashir and Company, and no credible and plausible raison d’être has been offered to the Sudanese for the increasingly irresponsible conduct of their president.
By virtue of being in the driver’s seat or the curator of affairs in South Sudan, GOSS is duty-bound to exert utmost pressure on the fanfaronade National Congress Party to address those two vital stipulations of the CPA before the dawn of next scheduled general elections in Sudan. No more delays would be acceptable. All the periods of grace lent, have been exhausted by the NCP, GOSS must wake up to remind its senior partners that the time for doing serious business is long overdue. The mess must be mopped up hastily before the 2008 elections.
Unmistakably, Al Bashir is more concerned with feet-dragging and spiteful subterfuges in order to buy more time for his diabolic ambition of failing the government in Juba, rather than being a staid and responsible stakeholder in the government of National Unity.
On the opposite flank are South Sudanese waiting to witness the tough and uncompromising stance of their government in regards to the two crucial matters, having learned a painful lesson at the loss of the Ministry of Energy and Mining to the NCP two years ago as a result of lack of serious negotiating skills and perhaps egocentricity. I hope the transmission of the vehicle without reverse gear is now complete and ready to deliver the expected cargo to the expectant Sudanese.
* The author is based in Australia. He can be reached at [email protected]