Sudan police raid SPLM offices in Khartoum
September 11, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Heavily armed police raided premises of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, the peace partner of the ruling National Congress Party, on Tuesday, threatening a partnership created under a peace deal that ended 20 years of north-south war, the SPLM said.
The former rebels said the raids, which targeted three of its offices in the capital, followed a campaign and slanderous attacks against senior SPLM officials in the national media.
“We are really fed up of what’s going on,” Yassir Arman, deputy secretary general of the SPLM, told Reuters.
Khartoum’s state police announced, late in the evening, that it had carried out an important operation in all the parts of the state to collect the illegal arms. The police said they seized important quantity of arms following the surprise searches in the capital.
The SPLM signed a peace agreement with the northern National Congress Party (NCP) in 2005, ending more than two decades of north-south conflict that left some two million people dead and forced four million to flee from their homes.
It resulted in the SPLM joining the government.
SPLM sources said that heavily armed police and security forces, backed by armored personnel carriers, stormed their offices in Khartoum North, Dem, and Mogran, vandalising property, and in one case, breaking down a door.
PORTRAIT OF GARANG
One source said a portrait of the founder of SPLM leader John Garang, who died in a helicopter crash two years ago, was also destroyed.
“It is uncalled for. It is going to impact negatively on the relationship between the National Congress and the SPLM,” said Arman. The SPLM said the police searched the offices.
Arman said as an important member of the ruling coalition, the SPLM leadership should have at least been informed if there was a legitimate reason to search the party’s offices.
“Obviously out of courtesy they were supposed to inform the leadership of the SPLM and we were supposed to be there,” he said. “But they came and searched us like criminals. That is unfortunate,” the SPLM deputy secretary general said.
The incident came just three days after rumors about the death of Salva Kiir, the leader of the SPLM and president of the semi-autonomous government, which created tensions in Khartoum that only eased after Kiir appeared on state television to dispel the reports.
But those tense moments reminded many of the bloody confrontations between southern and northern Sudanese in the wake of Garang’s death in 2005 in which more than 100 people were killed in the capital.
(ST/Reuters)
Juach D Juach
Sudan police raid SPLM offices in Khartoum
These recents developments are clear indication of a turbulent time a head!. The flight test of unmanned military plane, alleged GoSS preseident assasination, rounding up of SPLA troops in Muglad and many more are early signs of what to follow. This is the high time we double our defense budget to tackle the looming war that is inenvitable.
Development can never, and will never ever proceed without a strong SPLA that is able to defend herself from the invading Arab world. And this is clear with the said resettling of Palestinians and the development now.
SPLA Oyee ! long live our struggle, alluta continua.
David Mayen Deng
Sudan police raid SPLM offices in Khartoum
The Sudanese people must know now who is trying to take their sons back to the frontlines. Why on earth isn’t the government of Khartoum trying to create an environment in which peace prevails in the region – irrespective of the outcome of the coming referendum? Why is the Khartoum government trying to provoke South Sudanese instead of continuing to work together for the good of Sudan? If we secede, which is even becoming more likely than ever, then the Arabs and Arabised of the would be the Republic of North Sudan would need a good neighbor on their Southern border; but with their irrational and immature behavior of today, they are just cultivating a potential enemy in the South. One would think it was obvious enough for Khartoum by now that if the South was to be conquered and subdued it would have happened with Abud’s scorched earth military campaigns of the late 50s and 60s, or with the Mahadya Jihad against warrior tribes with only spears against the Mahadi’s forces with fire arms obtained from their defeat of the Turco-Egyptians. Why dose Khartoum not want to cultivate a cordial relationship with a region whose population is one third of the country (according to official statistic which could even be misleading)?
When the CPA was signed many North Sudanese had a sigh of relieve, given the fact that it was the time when many of their sons had now started to recognize the smell of gun powder (barud) before being shipped back to the North in boxes – kids in South Sudan know its smell. It was a sad time for the entire country and for Northerners in particular, which was brought to a halt by the CPA.
With war in Darfur (which spelled the collapse of a Jihad-based partnership that went on for over a century); the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile being part of the fight against the forces of Arabization, one is inclined to ask: where will the few Arabs of Khartoum turn when the whole country is in fire? How could such a minority be so impertinent even during the time when peace is trying to take hold of the destiny of Sudan?
Not to prolong speaking about the intense indignation that you all peace loving Sudanese (particularly SPLA/M supporters and all Southerners) feel about these raids on the SPLM offices, I hope that our leaders in the SPLM/A will indulge in an exercise of patience. Even though it is conspicuous that the result of any coming war (where Khartoum would be the front line before long), would not be in favor of those few arrogant individuals who try to take our beloved country back to war, or North Sudanese in general, patience and restraint aimed at offsetting such provocations would be a more prudent move from our tested leaders of the SPLM/A. South Sudanese in particular, and all Sudanese in general, do not need a demonstration of valor from you – for you have already demonstrated much of it for over 2 decades until the hard-won CPA was signed. War is the easiest exercise a man can do; but peace is hard to maintain for it requires so much patience – especially when one is under insulting provocations. Just think of what peace could do to millions of our people trapped in refugee camps, and your fiery hearts will be saturated before taking action. But if you can not take such insults anymore, then lead… and we will follow obediently- and let it start again.
David Mayen,
The Center for International Human Rights Advocacy, The University of Denver
Hillary
Sudan police raid SPLM offices in Khartoum
Dear South Sudanese,
History repeats itself if the people fail to learn from the past event.
It is very clear that Khartoum is taking advantage of the south because every time southerners speak, they talk of we shall not fight we have the CPA. what is a paper to a revolutionalist?
what is CPA to person who planned to turn the south into a forest and wipe out every human being from it? what is CPA to a regime that respect no human right body in the world and ranged number 3 from the bottom in the whole of Africa?
It is clear that we have to be double careful in order to understand that a prisoner who is sentenced to death is always kept happy and well fed untill the day He or She is taken for hanging so is the CPA. let every south sudanese be vigilant and determined to know what he or she want to avoid forgetting our main common goal that led to death of millions of lives of our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers and children.
I wish every Sudanese follow every proceeding of the current scanarrio.
Hillary Y. E.
Juba-South Sudan
Toposa Boy southerner
Sudan police raid SPLM offices in Khartoum
This is just the beginning brothers & sisters the evil Arab just now showing the power testing SPLM/A in every corner in the country including south Sudan on Sunday they test the reaction to the death of salva kirr and the result was 0 reaction from the southerners & SPLM/A LEADERS I have just learn that the salva kirr is back in Khartoum which is another wrong move by salva kirr my massage to kirr is no body wants in Khartoum why don’t you just stay in juba and prepare your military for war you know is coming and all the southerners by now they know the war is coming now your in Khartoum all your offices as been run down by Arab evil so my question is what do you going to do ? If you’re unable to protect our people please step down we have more strong leaders to take over the mission thanks
Nak I kau
Sudan police raid SPLM offices in Khartoum
This is not surprising to see the Khartoum government going against the CPA for those who have known its policies for a long time. It would be naive for someone to expect the Khartoum based government to honour this agreement for the following reasons.Firstly, the South – North border is not demarcated, secondly the redeployment of Sudan arm forces to the border of 1/1/1956 is not completed and thirdly the intentional failure to fund the upcoming census which is also vital for both general elections and the referendum due in 2011 are both acts of the declaration of war against the south. We must get prepared to fight a man to man war until the last man stands, no surrender no nothing.we must make some potential sacrifices for the sake of freedom of our beloved country South Sudan
God bless South Sudan.
Bob Tata
If two thieves disagree; the real thief becomes known!!!
I believe all south Sudanese including Garang himself were not convinced by the so called CPA and thus were aware of such violations to take place!
Thus, I am sure Garang signed that mockery peace deal for hidden agenda and not because he was well convinced of its survival!!
Then, the biggest question to be asked will be: who will be willing again to fight along side SPLA/Mers after they revealed their true colour; such as dening the power and wealth of south Sudan to themselves through corruption and nepotism and sidelined and humiliated other southern forces? Ha ha ha ha ha!!what goes around comes around!to greedy or power hunger SPLA/Mers: as you ate alone then you will fight alone!!
by Bol Thourmuck