Sudan fifth census: Another political marginalization
By Dhieu Mathok Diing Wol.
April 10, 2008 — Among many other reasons why people of Southern Sudan and other marginalized people took arms in Sudan was because of political marginalization in their own country. The resources and the Country’s power have been concentrated in hands of few people in Central Sudan especially those small ethnic communities living along the Nile. Despite the fact that the total population in the Northern and Nile States represent less than 5% out of the country population still senior political positions and much of the wealth are controlled by these people .The biggest economic projects are being carried out in the Northern State. The Marwe Dam and the two roads (Altahdy and Sheran ALshemal) along the Nile banks in the west and in the east are few indications of economic manipulation of these minor ethnic groups to the Sudan’s resources. Since the independence of the country more than 90% of presidents that ruled the country were from these small tribes creating political unrest, because of political exclusion and lack of democratic participation .The political parties which inherited the power from colonial rule failed to provide democracy, freedom, justice and equality because they suffered from sectarianism, that no one could come out side the Mahdi or Margani family to lead the party .This big problem made these two political parties to be family institutions which cannot be trusted with the process of democratization for the fact that no democracy within their parties organs. The National Islamic Front Party (NIF) which emerges as a young political institution in the North has a problem of being an Islamic political entity that cannot unite people in Sudan. The clear evident was its vision in Naivasha peace talks when they insisted to impose symmetric system of the government in the country (one country two systems) through Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which divides Sudan into Islamic North and non Islamic South rejecting concept of new secular and democratic Sudan where duties and rights are based on citizenship regardless of race, color, religion, language and political affiliation.
Many political analysts believed that the significant part of the conflict between the South and the North was addressed by introduction of referendum for the people of Southern Sudan in year 2011 to determine their destiny whether to remain in one united Sudan or otherwise. However the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) which has been fighting to eradicate marginalization in Sudan looks into coming separation of the South as adding more fuel into an already exiting fire because the breakaway of the South may cause many breaking away southern Sudan alike, hence the problem persisted and even can become more complicated .So the solution is to work together with other marginalized regions like Nuba, Enqasina, Darfur, Eastern Sudan, and far North to bring the National Congress Party (NCP) in to its sense during coming elections in 2009 .This strategic programme has been preempted by NCP through trying to carry out unfair population census on 15/4/2008 and later on elections in year 2009.
According to CPA this population census is supposed to be done after the Internal Displaced Peoples ( IDPs ) and Refugees are returned home .Now more than two million are still either in internal displacement within the country or in Diaspora. This specifically is meant to reduce the number of Southerners in the coming census. In Darfur where there is instability, the outcome of the population census is going to be unfair if done, because the rebel movements which controlled currently the Region shall not allow the census to proceed smoothly in the absence of peace accord in Darfur. To carry out the census in such a way means many things, below are some of them:
Firstly: as stipulated in the CPA that the population of the country should be used for either confirmation or alteration of power sharing formula applied in power sharing protocol signed in Nairobi between Sudan Government represented by NCP and SPLM on 09/1/2005. See the article No.2 /6/2/1 of the protocol which indicates formulation of policies to train and appoint 20% to 30% qualified southerners to fill civil servant positions if the result of population census provide that percentages. Article No. 2/6/2/2 provides more clarifications; not less than 20% of middle and higher civil servant positions are to be allocated to qualified people from Southern Sudan during the first three years .However, this percentage shall increase to 25% before the end of the interim period. Last article on this important issue is article No.2/6/2/3 which talks about the revision of the adopted policies according to population census out comes; that is to say, if the whole population of the South is last than 20% then their share/ ratio shall be according to that percentage and this is the dangerous part of this Fifth Population Census.
Secondly, the reason why NCP insisted to carry out the census while the repatriation programme has not been properly done, according to my opinion is that , many IDPs are held in the North and it is very easy to intimidate these IDPs to vote for NCP under pressure of many circumstances .According to CPA and Sudan Interim Constitution of 2005 the responsibility of repatriation of IDPs and refugees is a dual responsibility of Government of National Unity (GoNU) and Government of South Sudan (GoSS). The committee chaired by Sudan Vice President was formed in year 2006 to carry out the task but nothin materialized. The little effort made on ground was done last year (2007) by Government of South Sudan (GoSS). In my opinion, repatriation programme should be top priority of GoNU as to exemplify real peace dividends to people of Southern Sudan and other war affected citizens. The huge amount used for the census would have been expended in taking people to their home lands. I am wondering how could the International Community support the census and refuse to finance the repatriation programme. Is it deliberately agreed between GoNU and those International agencies working in field of displacement that, the IDPs and the refugees are not to be taken back to their homes? The Ministerial Committee entrusted with this national function in the level of GoNU stopped its activities since its inception, confined itself in official meetings inside the offices without ground work. The time GoSS provided necessary fund to support the project, all roads that lead to Bahr eL Ghazal region where majority of IDPs came from were blocked by the Government throwing the whole issue in to Messiriya tribe neck using existing dispute between Dinka and Messiriya in the border. This clear and well calculated scenario to prevent the going back of IDPs to their homes has got relationship with Fifth Population Census due to be carried out on 15/4/2008 and General Elections of 2009. No one can digests idea of tribe made a decision to locked national road. I don’t think Madi or Acholi tribes can close Juba-Kampala road in front of movement of people and goods between the two countries in the silence of the GoSS and its persist watching on what is happening without intervention. The NCP and its based majority government (GoNU) must admit its entanglement in the closed down of Aweil-Meriam road in front of the IDPs going to Bahr el Ghazal. I am of opinion that if such circumstances occur, for the tribe to closed roads and the government claimed its innocence to the situation, then there must be something wrong within the system because security is a basic responsibility of State and not tribe / community. I maintain the same position that, the act of closing down Aweil-Meriam road in front of IDPs is the NCP plan to rig both census and elections, hence the CPA failed miserably to eradicate marginalization in state it can be considered as a contribution towards institutionalization the phenomenon.
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Third and finally, the country’s identity which came up again between the two partners in the GoNU through database sheet for census explores the nature of political struggle in Sudan .NCP insisted in exclusion of religion and tribe in the census forms, the idea which was rejected by the SPLM, because Sudan has been alleged as an Arab and Islamic country since its independence in 1956. This population census should provide better chance to correct all past mistakes in state of confirming issues that have created conflict with governments in Khartoum. The success of NCP in its political stand to exclude religion and tribe from census sheet means continuation of political marginalization to major ethnic groups who are suffering from political exclusion in Sudan. These two factors are very important, so both Arabism and Islamism of the country are confirmed as fact and reality or disproved and Sudan do away with them for good. So it is a matter of being or not to SPLM if defeated by exclusion of these two important components of population assessment data then the people of marginalized areas may demand declaration of death of the New Sudan political ideology. It worth mentioning that, the competition over the country identity contributed in political instability in Sudan. Consequently, it is now difficult for any political force to impose its own ideological concept through terrorizing people unless its political ideology and programme have massive support that reflects will of majority in the country. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) is a framework where all issues of political disputes are peacefully settled. Rigging the census and coming elections will take people back to physical violence and it is surely on the expense of our country’s prosperity. Let us learn from others and solve our problems in a democratic and transparent manner void of violence or instigation of communities!
Author is a researcher in Peace and Development Center University of Juba –Sudan.