Thank you Salva Kiir for alerting the World
By Sabrino Majok Majok*
October 15, 2007 — Albeit relative, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed on January 9th, 2005 has brought long awaited peace and hope to the people of Sudan, particularly in the war-devastated regions of the country vis-à-vis: Southern Sudan, Southern Kordofan and Southern Blue Nile. With commendable help from the IGAD nations and international community, the key partners at the negotiating table, SPLM and NCP, laid out, in clear sequence, what should be done by the two parties starting right from January 9th, 2005 to the very end of the six-year interim period during which the two referenda would be concurrently and democratically exercised in ten states of South Sudan and Abyei on January 9th, 2011.
Since the implementation process of the CPA is clearly defined throughout the interim period, Sudanese and indeed all peace loving people expect the two parties to the agreement to implement the accord to the letter without undue excuse of one kind or another. This writer firmly believes that any failure by either party to implement a given clause in the CPA would not be blamed on misinterpretation of the CPA text but on lack of political will and tendency to derail the accord. In fact, the CPA has not only been laid out in clear steps, but things have been made even simpler to the concerned parties and the international community by creating “Evaluation and Assessment Commission” whose main task is to assess and evaluate implementation of the agreement. Therefore, any faithful and committed partner would not have difficulties following the timeframes set forth in the CPA.
Ironically, however, members of the National Islamic Front (NIF), or National Congress Party (NCP), have been on a violation spree since pre-interim period. To enumerate every clause violated in the CPA by the NCP would require one to produce volumes of encyclopedia. But a few blatant violations must be mentioned here: South-North border demarcation; Abyei Protocol; lack of clarity in oil revenue; lack of SAF withdrawal from South Sudan; lack of effective use of various commissions; intentional delay of census; continued support of militia; unlawful detention of political opponents and partners; censorship of the press and harassment of journalists; high-handedness by the law enforcement agencies; partisan approach by NCP dominated ministries; expulsion of diplomats without due consultation with the SPLM; encroachment on the constitutional powers of the First Vice President; and misuse of independent assessment and evaluation commission.
Despite unholy and deceitful treatment of the SPLM by the NIF/NCP, the former tirelessly continued to work for peace hoping that the latter would come to its sense and meet half-way. In fact, if SPLM was not committed to peace as the NCP hawks would want us to believe, it would have withdrawn a few months after signing of the CPA, especially when NCP unabashedly snatched almost all sovereign and economic ministries. Although, SPLM leadership was bitterly criticized by its stakeholders, particularly citizens of South Sudan—for allowing NCP to control all key ministries, its (SPLM’s) patience and sense of nationalism that has kept the CPA alive for 33 long months. Thanks to the heroic and selfless vision of the SPLM which saved the CPA from suffering the fate of 1972 Addis Ababa peace accord. Things would have been different had it not been for historic patience demonstrated by the SPLM.
How long can SPLM wait when the hard won CPA is being torn apart one clause at a time? Absolutely not more than 33 months!! Thank you, President Salva Kiir Mayardit and entire SPLM leadership for alerting the international community of the danger posed on CPA by NCP.
Now that the SPLM has suspended its participation in the Government of National Unity (GONU) in protest (after having tried its best), the ball is effectively in the NIF court: President al-Bashir must choose either to breathe life into ailing CPA or kill it to detrimental consequences that will eternally haunt him and the rest of NIFers.
To turn things around, however, peace loving people everywhere must pressure the NCP to implement its part of the agreement without delay. Otherwise, Sudan risks multiple, unnecessary disintegrations.
*Sabrino Majok Majok is an SPLM Deputy Coordinator for Western Canada; he can be contacted via [email protected]
Atem Awan de Dut
Thank you Salva Kiir for alerting the World
Thank you Sabrino.
This is a great article.The elements you highlighted are so many and so real that the NIF should even be ashamed of.Yet the hard-headed Islamic fundamentalists still believe that they can do anything and get away with it.Atleast not anymore.We are wide awake.bravo we got people like yourself who voice their views in a way that will help our cuntry-SOUTH SUDAN
Bob Tata
Thank you Salva Kiir for alerting the World
Today, the vast majority of south Sudanese are with the peaceful solution of whatsoever problem in Sudan! Why? Simply because people had enough of fighting the losing battles or wars! SPLA fought those nonsense wars for two decades but without achievement of any proclaimed victory and I will doubt the consciousness of anyone who will reckon the so-called CPA as a victory for SPLA!
Those disastrous SPLA wars that have cost us about two million human lives and yet they didn’t liberate the country(Making the SPLA the worst gorilla fighters in the world)They are catastrophic and must not to be repeated no matter what the reasons are!
Nevertheless, the so-called CPA was signed as an exit out of the imminent defeat of SPLA by NIP/NCP! I am quite sure that everybody can reckon this simple fact! Why I am saying that, well, SPLA was stubborn when asked to join KPA signed by NCP and SSDF led by Dr Reik Machar by then, the SPLA under the leadership of Dr John Garang was reluctant to accept and participate in that agreement! Why? Because Dr John knew that if the KPA is signed by Dr Reik will not grantee SPLA/M the greater autonomy over the resources of South and the posts in the government southern Sudan (GoSS). Then, Garang prolonged his losing war for yet another one decade and something in the hope that they will win militarily! But suddenly when Garang realised that he was failing, he suddenly accorded with the Idea of self-determination through referendum under what he then called Comprehensive peace agreement or CPA!
However,various sensitive issues such as South-North boundaries, Abayi status, and secularism in the capital Khartoum or the so-called freedom of worship and so on, were left unresolved! Simply because the most important thing for SPLA/M was the power and the wealth sharing or divide! This is the case today! As corruption and power abuses by SPLA led GoSS justify that! The reason for such a naïve behaviour shown by SPLA recollection of its ministries in the government of national unity (GoNU) and the pending of their activities until further notice also justify the very reason behind the sudden signing of CPA!!
What surprise me is that who is going to fight alongside SPLAers after they have revealed their true colours to the vast majority of south Sudanese? Will SPLA -Dinka really liberate south Sudan by themselves as they are enriching themselves with the wealth of the south Sudan and are empowering themselves with the posts granted to them by their CPA! SPLM must be wise enough to avoid any ruin to CPA!! Because that is the only hope they get to grantee them the luxury life they are enjoying, people of south Sudan will Lough at them otherwise!