SPLM convention, The greatest challenge to face

By Mawut Guarak

May 15, 2008 — It is only hours away for us to celebrate the birth of the Mighty SPLA. On this day in May 1983, President Salva Kiir was in Malakal, Kerubino Kwanyin and John Garang in Bor, William Nyuon in Ayod and their messenger, Cdr. Chagai Atem was somewhere in the Nile. These men were organizing a move that would kill more than 2 million people over the next two decades and bring peace for all at last. Each of them was working for Khartoum government or other agencies within the Old Sudan’s patronage system; they were all living a much better life than most Southerners. Yet they chose to let go their jobs and instead volunteered for the Black Race. As we celebrate 16th of May every year, we think of the lives and legacies of John Garang de Mabior, Kerubino Kwanyin Bol, William Nyuon Bany, President Salva Kiir Mayardit, Arok Thon Arok, Martin Majier Gai, and Uncle Joseph Oduho as founding fathers of our nation.

Let me start this day by saluting the founding fathers and all men and women who have sacrificed their lives for the cost of freedom. I salute the disabled, orphans, widows, and widowers for their support and contribution to the Movement. I also salute the civil population and the chiefs and sultans who during the war supported the Movement by contributing their sons to die for the sake of freedom; and contributed food to support the army that had no where to eat. I salute the Jiesh al Amr who had given up their youth and adulthoods for the sake of freedom. Let the names of Fugnido, Dima, Itang, and Palotaka be always remembered; in them, the SPLM/A sowed its seeds for the New Sudan.

As we prepare to celebrate the 25th birthday of our liberty, we are also facing one of the toughest challenges in the history of our struggle. In a few hours, the SPLM Second National Convention will kick off in the South’s capital, Juba. This convention is a pillar to the forth general election scheduled for 2009 as well as the 2011 referendum. In other words, the Movement is to reorganize forces and be ready for the challenges ahead.

The SPLM has been fighting on a flat form of democracy but not all members of the Movement are working for that. In 1983, some people never thought of holding a top position in the near future; others deliberately joint the Movement as a means to grasp power and dwells with it for ever. Today, South Sudan still has those people; some of them are in the top positions of the administration. Others have tried everything in their capacity to climb the ladder of leadership and are half-way atop.

Not too long a go I learned through media of possible contesters to challenge South Sudan President Salva Kiir for the chairmanship. That is what the SPLM is all about—democracy—and nobody in the Movement will over-or-down look President Kiir’s opponents because of their decision to challenge the only surviving founding father.

It would be wrong if any one think that competitive bid for the SPLM top position will cause unrest in the party. It will actually strengthen the organization. Competitions always jump start the incumbents because at every time works work or does something, he faces a lot of pressure as a result of competition for the same job he holds. That is why the current announcement by Cdr. Riek Machar and Cdr. Nhial Deng Nhial to contest the position of the party’s chairmanship with President Kiir is a great step in democratization process.

In the same medium from which I learned the candidacy of Vice President Riek Machar and former Minister Nhial Deng Nhial for the SPLM chairmanship, the former appeared to have support of his clansmen that surfaced the national politics of Southern Sudan and the rest of the country. That makes it sound like if Dr. Machar is running for Dok chiefdom, not the SPLM chairmanship. How would one feel if President Kiir emerged as a result Awan Chan’s tribal meeting? Wouldn’t you wonder if he was going to lead the South legitimately? In fact, I have not learned of any Dinka tribal stand for Mr. Nhial Deng Nhial. Nhial is man with not much of a record in a sense as the former. As such the decision remains with the delegates to the convention. I must highlight this fact to enable many understand the past as well as to prepare for a better future.

I do not intend to challenge any candidate at this time. I do not also intend to praise people who do not understand the course of politics despite holding some o f the highest academic papers in the modern era. Yet, I want to press on every region, state, payam, buma, and tribe to refrain away from tribalism. We all learned from immature decision of 1991 when one some of the very educated individuals broke the chain of brotherhood and turn their wrath against civilians that caused massacre in areas of Southern Sudan. That very people are the ones now calling themselves heroes and heroines in Sudan. But I belief the history is alive and still holds them accountable. Although South Sudanese are forgiving people, this time is not for those who just stabbed their very citizens in the back when they (South Sudanese) were almost to victory. It is a time for them to work diligently and heal the wounds they caused to people. There is an old saying that “raan ë cë kan miol acennë too? ye waan në ye loom.” Sudan is not yet over with the war as it is well known; and as a result, it shall not only be a mistake but a deliberate suicide to elect somebody who has shown his colors of incapability during the struggle. A man who stabs the entire nation in the back at the time of difficulties may be forgiven but can not be give consent to kill the entire nation.

In regard to the final examples provided, it is now up to the empowered delegates to make a decision to represents the will of all people who elected them to Juba. Citizens must be keen in who they will choose when that time comes for them to cast their votes. There have been tribal statements already in the media about certain tribal individual campaigning across tribal lines for their clansmen. That is not going to help Sudan. It will only help Jellaba because division among Southern Sudanese is the only way the enemy wins.

Finally, I want to remain all people loving citizens of the Sudan, and particular those who stood with the Movement over the last two decades that it was not easy to deputize the late Chairman because during the war, a lot of things happened. But President Kiir did not mind of any difficulties, nether did he thought of embarrassing action as many did. No man is perfect, especially when people are dying but Salva Kiir worth mentioning. He is the boat by which the Marginalized people of the Sudan will cross to the next side of the River. If I had one thing to say at this movement, it will be: Please vote for a true leader, not your tribesman.

Mawut Guarak is a graduate student and resides in New York. He can be reached at [email protected]