Why Sudan unity is vital for peaceful living in South Sudan

By Ibrahim Abdalla

May 26, 2008 — A couple of months ago there was a deadly clashes between what are described as Arabic
tribes (Misyria) and the SPLA/M (mostly of southern descends) soldiers in the disputed
city of Abyi. The tension from these clashes continue and a couple of days ago, a more
deadly clashes took place, this time with the Sudan arm forces involved – and the tension
goes on while the city of Abyi is already transformed into a ghost city.

The main reasons for these clashes is obvious to every body and deeply rooted in the com-
prehensive peace agreement (CPA) sign by the late Garang and the single ruling party in the
north. The CPA includes the fact that in 2011 the south my succeed through a referendum
although when the CPA was signed there was strong belief that Garang will lead to the unity
of Sudan rather than dividing it. However, the fate of God decided that Garang should not
continue leading the SPLM after signing the CPA and the situation becomes very chaotic
for both southern and northern partners after his death. The successor of Garang (Silva Kir)
doesn’t have the vision nor the experience of the late Garang and this raised the suspicion
and panic among the northern partners that signed the CPATo the ruling party in the north,
the conception was that it is a matter of time only before Southern Sudan decide to succeed
and from here the struggle of the disputed Abyi and the suffering of its people started and
most likely will never end without a good will from the leaders. Misyria tribes supported
by the northern partners insist that Abyi belongs to the north while SPLA strongly claim
that Abyi is part from the south. The efforts of an international committee brought to con-
tribute in solving the problem went with the wind and the future remain gloomy.

From the above introductory, the question of whether Sudan unity carry any real impor-
tance, especially with respect to the people in the south living close to the newly proposed
north/south borders around Abyi and its surroundings emerges. The recent clashes mainly
involved Misyria tribes which are considered to be of Arabic background. The fact that
Misyria (or any other tribe/clan) in Sudan are of pure Arabic blood is debatable and the
concept of “Arabs” should be revised and carefully understood, especially within the con-
ception of those tribes which descends from pure African roots such as the Nilotic tribes
dominating southern Sudan. History does indicates that most of what are referred to as
Arabs in Sudan does include Nubian blood within them, but this is not the point the writer
of this article would like to indulge in discussing it, instead, just to raise the attention of
those how uses this as a pretext for war and inciting hatred within the Sudanese varying
tribal spectrum.

It became apparent post the aftermath of the deadly clashes around Abyi that, the core rea-
sons for the above clashes is the natural resources which exist in the rich southern part of
Sudan and not really ethnically motivated. As a person who grew and still live in Kordo-
fan Province, I know that it is not only Misyia tribes (who basically live around the area
of Abyi) are accessing the green pastures deep in Southern Sudan, but many other tribes
such as nomadic Shanablah (a major tribe that includes tens of clans and sub-clans) also
do the same. During the rainy season in Kordofan province, Shanblah tribes takes their
sheeps far in the desert region – named Al-Baja (towards the Libyan desert), however, their
camels herds goes deep into southern Sudan in search for better green pastures. Close to the
harvesting season in Kordofan province they again come back to make use of the harvest
season left-over.

In case southern Sudan succeed in the proposed 2011 referendum, the real question that
will emerge as a result of the succession will be: how to convince such tribes such as
Misyria and others who enjoyed freedom of movement around those areas for hundreds of
years that, this freedom is over and that the green pastures they used to access without any
restriction (before the assumed succession) is no longer available to them. To such kind of
tribes, their camels and sheeps is their life and it is just too difficult for them to compromise
it for the sake of the North or South Sudanese administration in the case of southern Sudan
succession. Taking into consideration the almost the very low level of educations of the
individual of such tribes, and worst of all, their tribal bravery which they are proud of, it
becomes even more awkward to get the idea of succession to their brain core. Also considering the fact that southern Sudan administration (or government after succession) has the
right to exercise their border control, the conclusion is obvious: a very volatile situation
around long borders- probably forever. The minimum implication of such circumstances is
the loss of more human lives as well as hampering the development especially of southern
Sudan

Of course the problem could be solved if the northern government committed much of re-
sources in development schemes for the affected tribes that may (but may not) convince
them to settle and live a modern life style while keeping their old life style. But this seems
to be a dream that most likely will not be realised. In such situation, the tension will remain
in those areas and the sun of peace and prosperity may never shine on those areas and in the
south as general since they will be committing most of their resources to fight a useless and
unwinnable war of mouse and cat. The problem may also get complicated by hidden agendas associated with the fact that a good percentage of the population in the north including
many generals from the northern Sudan army believe that the CPA has given southern Sudanese people more than they deserve. This is because there was another CPA that was
almost signed before the ongoing (Ingaz) government came to power in late eighties. In
that treaty (engineered by Almurgani and the former Garang), at least the proposal of dividing Sudan was not mentioned with or without referendum. Based on this historical fact,
many of the northern Sudanese army personnel believe that the CPA should not go ahead
and even if it is implemented, should be based on one Sudan rather than dividing it. Such
complication can only prolong the misery of all Sudan population.

When the referendum is exercised, the southerners are absolutely having the right to vote to
their choice. However, let us sight a decision of a man whom I do consider as a great leader
-that is Ronald Regan, the former US president during the eighties who led America during
the toughest times of the cold war and the threat of nuclear confrontation with the Communist ideologists the very strong at that time Russian federation (USSR). The army generals
of Ronald Regan have convinced him that the nuclear war against the USSR is winnable,
but, when they exposed all the scenarios to him including the loss of tens of millions of
American and the total destructions of most of the American cities, Regan concluded that
there is no winner of a nuclear war erupts. He then led the negotiation of destruction of such
useless weaponry. Hence, let us hope that the management of both northern and southern
Sudan is wise enough to avoid any more bloodshed in the Sudan and lead to the one great
Sudan.

Dr Ibrahim Abdalla is a Senior Lecturer, School of computing and Engineering, DeMontfort University, Leicester, UK. He can be reached at [email protected]