Each tribe counts for South Sudan

By James Okuk

July 8, 2008 — I went keenly through an article written on July 3, 2008, in Sudan Tribune Website by Gatkuoth Lam titled “The 1991 historic move is a blessing to Southern Sudan.” The article argued on three major points: Lack of clear vision and direction in the inception of the SPLA/SPLM in 1983, lack of proper structure and team management of this guerrilla movement, and impunities of abuse of human rights by its ranks and files. The article generated a lot of controversies between Dinka and Nuer because of its reminder of their bitter past. Each side tried to praise or condemn Dr. Garang and Dr. Riek in turn.

Though I disagree with few of the justifications presented by the author, I admire and agree totally with the message he conveyed, and would like to shed some more light on the matter in the following paragraphs.

I found nothing but more straightforward truths in that article (but of course not the whole truth). Most of the historical facts narrated by the author are known by the people who were involved seriously in nurturing the SPLASPLM. If you read the books of Dr. Peter Adwok Nyaba, Dr. Lam Akol, Dr. Peter Nyot and Mr. Arop-Madut on the SPLA/M, you will not miss to find similar facts. Also if you read articles about the SPLA/M from its veterans like Dr. William Kon Bior, Atem Yak and others, and if you get hold of some journalistic archives about the past records of the SPLA/M, you will get it very clear why this movement split in 1991.

All the factions (be it Nasir or Torit) signed agreements with Mr. Al-Beshir’s Regime. Dr. Riek went to Khartoum in 1997 and also Dr. Garang went there in 2005 to shake hands with the hated former harbourers of the most top wanted ‘First Class Terrorist’ who defeated the American technology of war and intelligence. If going to Khartoum to shake hands and smile with the NIF/NCP Islamists is what makes a Southerner qualified for the certificate of ‘traitor-ship’, it could be said that both H.E. de Mabior and H.E. de Machar graduated with either ‘First Class Pass’ or ‘First Class Honours’ in this. But I do not think this classification makes sense to those who understand why these intellectual guerrilla leaders went there to shake hands with H.E. President Al-Beshir and other arrogant Mujahideen who declared South Sudan as infidels’ zone that should be scorched if its people did not convert to Islam and use ‘tung-liel’ (in Nuer language) when they go to release themselves or prepare to kiss the ground facing Mecca in Saudi Arabia. But wisdom dictates that it does not require a miracle for the bitter enemies to become tactical or strategic sweet friends! This is one of the common rules of political games.

Late Dr. Garang became popular internationally because of the CPA which recognized the right of the people of Southern Sudan for Self-determination. His dictatorial management of the SPLASPLM from 1983 – 1991 did not give him credibility at all. Many ranks and files feared him by that time and were ready to create a personality cult out of him just to flatter and please him. Go over the morale songs composed and chanted by the SPLA soldiers and you will understand my point. One of the SPLA/M veterans once commented that Dr. Garang enjoyed to be praised with songs like the long-horned and fattened Bulls of Dinka. This intellectual veteran didn’t like the sycophants and flatterers who surrounded and ill-informed Dr. Garang against the learned gentlemen and strategic planners of Southern Sudan.

I do not believe that the end of the SPLA/SPLM would have been the end of South Sudan because the South is far greater and older than the SPLA/M. The South was already there before the SPLA/M was born and it would have always been there even if the SPL/SPLM disappeared as a result of the 1991 split. But this historical movement is lucky that it did not disappear like the Anya-nya I. Nonetheless, it may disappear if it misbehaves with Southerners’ interests like the former rebel movement that was born in Torit in 1955.

I myself, started to admire Dr. Garang when he became a man of peace and negotiated the CPA in the interest of the South rather than pursuing endlessly the delusive ideology of ‘New Sudan’ with its connotation of liberation of the marginalized from Nimule in far South to Halfa in far North, and from Hamesh Kureib in far East to Geneina in far West. Our charismatic leader recognized in Machakos in 2002 and Naivasha in 2004 that though the New Sudan is a nice dream, it is too ambitious and complicated to be achieved in reality because of the complication of the set up of the Sudan: Muslims, Christians, Animists, Arabs, African, Southerners, Northerners, Westerners, Easterners, Centerers, etc. Thus, Dr. Garang rightly limited the CPA to the problem of Southern Sudan and the Transitional Areas (Blue Nile State, Southern Kordofan State and Abyei Area). A good paradigm shift from our humorous Doctor!

I became SPLM member after it came up with a clear direction of recognizing the right of the people of Southern Sudan for Self-determination in an internationally monitored referendum in 2011. I value the SPLM more than any political party because of its determination to realize this right as the backbone of the CPA, and not because of its confusing ideology of New Sudan. Chameleon ideologies are never good ones!

It is important to utilize the expertise of the intellectuals of South Sudan in the right place if the SPLM and the SPLA want to succeed in its mission of justice, peace, democracy, good governance, and sustainable development. Putting the ‘right people’ in the ‘wrong places’ or assigning the ‘wrong people’ in the ‘right places’ is not good at all; it is detrimental and retrogressive to achievement of any good work for Southern Sudan and for the Transitional Areas.

There is no difference between the massacre of Bor sub-clan of Dinka in 1991 and the massacre of the Gaajaak sub-clan of Nuer in 1985. The lives of both of these communities are valuable to Southern Sudan. Thus, it was not good of Dr. Garang to have allowed the killing of Nuer in Jakou, likewise it was not good of Dr. Riek to have allowed the blood spilling of the Dinka in Bor. May God forgive the sins of Dr. Garang because he has already gone from us and will not come back to apologize for this grave mistake. Dr. Riek is alive and still has the chance to examine his conscience and decide whether to apologize to the living victims of Bor Massacre or continue to justify what happened. He might not have ordered the massacre directly but there is no doubt that it happened under his leadership. Also Dr. Riek did not bother to account those who did that heinous act afterwards. This causes doubts in the justification that the angry Nuers mobilized themselves alone and went to attack the innocent civilians in Bor without Dr. Machar’s knowledge. It is part of the military commands that if any junior act without orders from the senior, he/she is regarded as a rebel to the boss. Disciplinary measures are taken immediately to correct the anomaly and maintain order and control. It seemed that this military code was not executed and Dr. Riek may be blamed for this omission.

At this juncture, I would like to tell H.E. Dr. Riek and his supporters that apology is not a shame because it creates a space for forgiveness as it is known that all human beings are liable to sins. Dr. Riek is not an angel neither is he a devil. It only happened that he became a leader over some human beings in South Sudan; otherwise this does not make him super human being unlike the rest of us. Also leading a guerrilla struggle in a primitive world like Southern Sudan is not an easy task immune from uncontrollable troubles. I know that the demand for the truth, forgiveness and reconciliation can open a ‘Pandora Box’ but it is better to open the box and let go the bad smell in it, and then close it after we have sprayed a good smell into it.

Dear Southerners, know that history writes itself and so let us not be ashamed to say the truth about the setbacks and the bad things that happened during the time of our heroic struggle. Notwithstanding, the aim should be forgiveness and not vengeance. Revenge on a brother does more harm and more lost to the living or the dead. It revives the fire of hatred and adds fuel to flame it higher continuously. The truth hurts when it is bitter (like the case of killing of humans and destruction of their properties), but the truth also heals when it is said with the intention of apology, forgiveness, reconciliation, and civility.

Dear Southerners, despite the dark side of our history of struggle, we also need to appreciate its bright side which can unite us strongly for the rest of the remaining period of our long and thorny journey to freedom from the cunning oppressive regimes in Khartoum. The past darkness should not overtake us in the expense of the future light. Now we see that the Islamic Fanatic Dr. Hassan El-Turabi with his rebel friend Dr. Khalil Ibrahim, are working hard day and night for the downfall of the current NCP regime of Mr. Al-Bashir so that the CPA can become obsolete and the independence desire of the people of Southern Sudan dashed into the dustbin of history. This conspiracy is more serious than what has happened between us in the past. We need to unite and counteract this greater evil proactively so that the infamous1947 is not invited to come back.

Drear Southerners, we should admit that we are different tribes with different mentalities and stereotypes about each other, but we should also get convinced that we are the people of South Sudan in spite of our differences and difficulties. We need to accept each other as One People with One Purpose of achieving the independence of South Sudan, rather than rejecting each other as enemies with many purposes that can destroy our common interest and make our Northern enemies happy. The South needs the Dinka of Bor as well as the Nuer of Gaajaak. The South needs every tribe of Southern Sudan because each of them is valuable and each of them counts for the good of South Sudan, which is growing slowly in the womb of the CPA’s politics. We should not abort this sacred fetus!

I am afraid that it would have been a disaster if SPLA/SPLM captured the Sudan by force of AK 47: its arrogant members would have only shifted the injustice from being practiced by the Jellaba to the new parishioners of Junubin, it would have become an oppressive movement to the people of the Sudan, the desire for Independence of South Sudan would have been dropped in favor of delusive New Sudan with Dr. Garang as its President, and another civil war would have been waged by the victims against the oppressive SPLM Regime like what was done to the previous successive oppressive Regimes in Khartoum. But thank God that He only allowed the SPLM/A to become government through peaceful means. Indeed the 1991 split for change was a blessing to Southern Sudan though it was not for the smaller Bor Town. It was very bad for the Dinka of Bor but it was very good for the Greater interest of all the people of South Sudan. Despite what happened; the people of Bor remain patriotic and will not refuse to add their votes for the Independence of South Sudan, comes 2011 because they have also fallen in love with Self-determination like other Southerners.

Long lives all those who brought the right changes within the SPLA/SPLM administration. Greatest honour to Dr. John Garang de Mabior for accepting the needed change for the sake of Self-determination for the people of South Sudan so that they choose their destiny and become First Class Citizens in their own black land. Long live all the people of South Sudan as they learn to tell the truth in order to forgive and reconcile with each other for the sake of the common good of their awaited independent African State far from the indoctrinations and deceptions of the Arab World, particularly Egypt who is ever thirsty for the water of the Nile and the Suds Region of Jonglei State.

The author is a PhD Student in the University of Nairobi. [email protected]