Sudan peace partners agree on pending issue except Abyei

Sudan peace partners agree on pending issue except Abyei
Except Abyei means a lot, remember when the delegation of International Elders visited Sudan last month ,Natinal Congress Party (NCP) told them that the CPA was 90% already implemented.But the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement(SPLM)On 11 October,2007 contradicted the allegation by suspending participation in the Government of National Unity (GoNU),saying major issues in the CPA not implemented including Abyei.Now after resolving remaining issues,except Abyei issue ie the Abyei Boundary Commission (ABC),the presidency may definitely conlude that the CPA is now 100% implemented.Therefore the Abyei issue may remain a toothache for no reason.

Sudan peace partners agree on pending issue except Abyei
It is relatively good news to the casual observer to learn that the peace partners, SPLM and NCP, have agreed on all pending issues, except Abyei. However, recent developments project a different picture on the level of acrimony still present amidst the “partners”.

Whenever the marginalized African Sudanese (an absolute majority, but most disempowered) attempted to come together, the Khartoum government became restless and paranoid. Ma’Nafi’s reaction to the presence of an SPLM delegation, even just as passive observers, is but one reflection of the degree of paranoia and restlessness the few ArabArabised leaders of Khartoum are suffering from nowadays. Recent developments in the country indicate that the table of power is already have-way turned over their heads. Since the Mahadist Revolution that thrived on slave trade in South Sudan and Nuba Mountains, the marginalized ethnic Africans of Sudan had never been closer to taking back the country to its mother continent in which the roots of the country’s identity sink so deep. When Dr. John said that peace in Darfur could never be de-linked from peace in South Sudan and the entire country, the few rulers of Khartoum started shaking in fear and asked: “what do these people really want !?” well, they just want the country’s identity to reflect its human composition, if I may answer.

Let’s briefly reflect on a strongly related (all things do not operate in a vacuum nowadays) manifestation of the paranoia our “rulers” are currently experiencing as they confront the SPLM at the CPA front:

On Ethnicity and Identity: The disgraced Taha went to the national TV and enumerated deceptive reasons which tried to incriminate the GOSS and paint it as an irresponsible partner before the Sudanese people. Among other things, Mr.Taha (disgraced Taha) tried to argue for the reasons why they opted not to include Ethnicity and Religion on the census forms due to be distributed and filled by all the Sudanese people soon. The disgraced Taha argued that the inclusion of Ethnicity and Religion would undermine the unity of Sudan – that there is a consensus in Africa not to include those two elements on population census forms because of the many negatives that may result from their inclusion. Well, assuming that his argument may hold some water in a sociology class; could it be true on the ground of Sudanese reality as well? NO! One of the reasons why Sub-Saharan African countries do not /do not need to include ethnicity on their census forms is that their countries are not forced by a few rulers to join the Arab League. They are proud to be Africans and know, by looks and biological realities, that they are Africans. Is this the case in our beloved Sudan? NO! A few dictators in Khartoum decided that Sudan is an Arab country – and the Dinka, Nuba, Zaghawa, Kakwa, Danagla, Shiluk, Balanda, Halfaween, Nuer, Zande, Hadandawa, etc, etc should just shut-up! Sudan is an Arab country, period! Well, Mr.Taha, we know that such identifications are derived from a single source, STATISTICS; on which other bases did you decide that Sudan is an Arab country? What is the premise of your classifying the country as belonging to the Arab world? To simplify that for your simple and cunning mind Mr.Taha: what statistics did youdo you want to rely on in the future for continuing to classify us as Arabs apart from population census?

On Religion(Islam) and identity: There is no reason, whatsoever, to mix matters of faith with biological realities- for the simple fact that faith is vulnerable to change given the fact that we are reasoning animals, whereas biological realities are permanent and inalterable. The marriageability of faith and ethnicity has never happened in the history of human existence on this planet, except in The Republic of Sudan where convenience forced their court-ship. There are many examples of Muslim countries that did not join the Arab League even when their populations are over 99.9% Muslim – Iran, Senegal, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Malysia, etc.

So, the few rulers of Khartoum thought that to include the two questions about Ethnicity and Religion would have an everlasting impact on how the country looks at itself. If one travels in South Sudan (leave alone the rest of New Sudan, Nuba Mountains and Angasana Hills) one would know the big myth in which Sudan was forced to live as a nation since “independence”. For instance, the only estimation on the population of the Dinka was conducted almost five decades ago, and it assumed that the Dinka stood at 3 millions- almost one third of the whole population of Sudan which was about 10 millions. Now, many believe that the Dinka are about 6.5-7 millions – any skeptic should just have a trip to Bahar El-Ghazal to see for him/herself. On the other hand, the Nuer are now estimated to be one million (instead of at least 2.5) – again, I strongly believe that it is another calculated move to undercut the population of one of the bravest warrior tribes on earth. In addition, the region of Equatoria may hold not less than 7-8 million inhabitants. To include other tribes in Bahar Al-Ghazal and Upper Nile, like the Shiluk, Balanda,etc we may roughly estimate the population of South Sudan to be close to 18 million (i.e. almost halve of the population of Sudan).

Now, so briefly and to the point, the objective behind undercutting the population of South Sudan is a military one. If the South was conscious about its numerical superiority it would have had a boosting impact on its self-belief and that, in turn, would have tilted the balance of power substantially on the military front in favor of South Sudan- it is worth noting that numerical superiority was the only reason for South Sudan to survive the vicious military incursions of the militarily well-equipped north. And since the coming census is to be international monitored, hence possibly accurate, Khartoum would do anything in its dwindling powers to hide those two important aspects of the identity of Sudan. If the Sudanese people wake up one morning and discover that almost halve of the population is Christian or affiliates to Christianity and over 85% is ethnically African, Sudan will have changed forever. And since the rest of the African tribes in Sudan are now increasingly becoming proud of their “African-ness” , questions about Religion and Ethnicity sends waves of wake-up shocks into the conscience of the nation which will “never be the same again”, to quote our late hero.

David Mayen Deng, The Center for International Human Rights Law and Advocacy, The University of Denver