INTERVIEW: Deputy Secretary General says SPLM a growing power in North Sudan
By Daniel Van Oudenaren
January 6, 2009 (WASHINGTON) – A senior official in the southern Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) said that the ex-rebel group is experiencing growing popularity among people in Northern Sudan opening the door for success in the upcoming elections.
Arman was part of an eight-member advance team of senior officials that arrived last week just prior to the Sunday arrival of Sudan’s First Vice President Salva Kiir Mayadrit, the SPLM chairman who met with US President George Bush on Monday.
In the interview Arman stressed that the purpose of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) is to push for democratic transformation in the country and said that the Darfur crisis can only be resolved in that context.
The northern SPLM figure declined to speculate on what steps SPLM might undertake should an arrest warrant be issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir, saying that they will “cross the bridge when we reach it”.
He further called on the Sudanese national assembly to pass a new set of laws to harmonize the old ones with the country’s constitution.
Below is the full text of the interview.
ST: What were the main issues discussed, yesterday and today, with U.S. diplomats?
Arman: First of all, the Vice President met with President Bush and with President Bush and they took an account of the CPA implementations, especially since that day it was the day of the fourth anniversary of the agreement itself. And given the role played by this administration there were discussions on the status of the peace agreement and how the implementation is going on, focusing especially on the issues that have not been implemented and the flash points of the agreement. And the other issue which took a lot of time is the Darfur issue and the effort by the First Vice President and the chairman of the SPLM. President Bush appreciated the effort of the First Vice President of trying to unify the different movements in Darfur and Darfur remains in the heart of the focus of the international community’s, U.S. and the First Vice President as well and the Government of South Sudan.
ST: Specifically, what concerns did the First Vice President raise about your Government of National Unity partner, the National Congress Party?
Arman: He raised the issue of the border demarcation, the issues of democratic transformation and he raised an issue of Abyei, and the elections and the different laws including the law of self-determination for the people of Sudan and other laws pertaining to democratic transformations and also the development and the aid to South Sudan and other areas in Sudan.
ST: In your role as SPLM leader for Northern Sector, what key issues would you like to highlight for the incoming Obama administration—with regard to the north?
Arman: The main issue is what is the end game of what we are doing? Because we should not do things in pieces, we should look to the situation in its totality. That remains the main objective. And the CPA it is about two fundamental and cardinal points. It is about the peaceful exchange of power through democratic elections and democratic transformation in particular transformation for the center of Sudan. If you do not transform the center of Sudan then you will end up treating disjointed issues in a disjointed manner all over Sudan.
The issue of Darfur remains a core issue and in its essence it is the same issue of marginalization that the people of South Sudan they fought for–the people of Nuba mountains and south Blue Nile and eastern Sudan. So Darfur it is suffering from the same disease that attacked yesterday South Sudan, Nuba Mountains, Blue Nile and Eastern Sudan. And we have to link Darfur and the CPA and democratic transformation. If we not link the democratic transformation and Darfur and the CPA nothing is going to move in the Sudan. So if you want me to summarize what I expect from the administration of Obama: I expect their focus to link together the CPA and the quick, speedy and just resolutions for Darfur and the democratic transformation for Sudan. They are interrelated, interconnected–you cannot do any one without the others.
ST: What will the political relationship of SPLM be with the Justice and Equality Movement? There will be a delegation here tonight from the JEM and you met with them in Chad in October, so given your experience, how would you characterize that relationship, both in the past and now moving forward?
Arman: We met them before and unfortunately they came at the end of our visit. Myself and others we are leaving tonight and the First Vice President is going outside Washington. Both the Justice and Equality Movement and the SPLM both are agreed to look for a just peace in Darfur and to promote the cause of peace, and that is the only agenda which can bring stability to Sudan. We need a just peace to Darfur. Darfur remains at the top of the agenda of the SPLM and we met with Dr. Khalil last time—the First Vice President is still willing very soon to meet with President Idriss Deby. We are ready to engage JEM, we are ready to do business with them, as well as also we are ready to engage the other movements in Darfur.
ST: There was another Darfur rebel faction that accused SPLA of killing one of its leaders, Sideeg Abdel-Karim. Could you explain the political circumstances behind those events?
Arman: Well in the first place the relations between the SPLM and the different factions of the Darfuri that came to South Sudan, they came for the unification. Any agenda apart from the unification is not the agenda of the SPLA. The incident was reported to the Political Bureau of the SPLM and the Political Bureau and the Chairman of the PSLM resolved that this incident has to be investigated and he directed the relevant authorities in southern Sudan to investigate it. And myself, I am in the leadership of the SPLM and there are agencies in the Government of South Sudan who are dealing with this issue and they are the ones who have to give an answer after they do their investigation.
ST: If the ICC issues an arrest warrant for president al-Bashir, would SPLM ask the president to resign?
Arman: Well first of all I can’t answer questions that are starting by probabilities; we will cross this bridge when we reach it. The SPLM is committed to the peace agreement, it is committed to strengthening the peace, and stability, and justice in Sudan.
ST: In recent years have you seen an increase in SPLM membership in the north, or decline—and why, do you think?
Arman: It’s definitely increasing, the vision of the New Sudan it is the only game in town. It is the only vision can unite the people of Sudan. In many occasions the SPLM in the north has demonstrated that it is growing, it is a force to reckon with. In fact it is one of the biggest forces, and it is to be noted that the SPLM—the movement that started in South Sudan, it is the first movement in the history of Sudan that started in a marginalized area and then it engulfed the whole of Sudan. That was demonstrated in the receptions of Dr. John Garang when millions went and saw him, it is again demonstrated in the commemorations of Dr. Garang, the first and the second commemorations. And it is demonstrated in our visit—I visited and I made rallies in more than 80 towns and big villages in northern Sudan. The SPLM it is in each town and village in northern Sudan. The flag of the SPLM is everywhere, the SPLM is a big force in northern Sudan and the vision of the New Sudan is flourishing everywhere in the north. And I am sure the SPLM is going to do very well at the time of the elections in northern Sudan. And also it is open to alliances with different forces but the SPLM is well placed in northern Sudan.
ST: On a related topic, President Salva Kiir has promised to visit Darfur. Why hasn’t he done that?
Arman: First of all there is a delegation headed by James Wani Igga that is going to go to Darfur soon. We decided and resolved at our last meeting, and this high delegation is going to visit Darfur this time; President Salva will go himself after the delegation and visit Darfur. He had this visit in his mind for long—due to the complexity of the politics and the relations within the national unity government and other factors he was not able to make it, but definitely soon he will go to Darfur.
ST: There’s a new press law expected in February; is there any chance this won’t be delayed?
Arman: Sudan now is a no-fly zone for the media–for free media and the press it is a no-fly zone. Only one security officer is the editor in chief of more than 53 newspapers. In fact he should be taken to Guinness Records because this security officer is editor in chief of 53 newspapers and with the heavy censorship the status of the media in Sudan is very bad now. In parliament I am also the chairman of the SPLM caucus.
We made it very clear, even we boycotted one of the sitting of the parliament recently because we need to extend the parliament session and we need to work quickly many laws ahead: the law of media and press, the national security law, the criminal law, because there are also articles dealing with the media in the criminal law. Because we need to change all those bylaws to match with the constitution and to give way for freedom and democracy in Sudan. We are also very much concerned to move the referendum and the popular consultations—the referendum for the people of South Sudan and the popular consultations for south Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains and the people of Abyei.
If they are not passed by this parliament, they should be passed by this parliament. This is our position we made it very clear, we reached an agreement with the National Congress that the parliament is going to reopen on the first Monday of this next February. We should do that and we should pass new laws for democratization.
(ST)
Issac William
INTERVIEW: Deputy Secretary General says SPLM a growing power in North Sudan
Leaders of the world and of any country particular play crucial role to achieve real happiness of its people. Educated and capable leader leads his/her people and country to a peace and prosperity, while the cruel, erratic and incapable leader brings people to the world of sufferings and ultimately ruins a country. Leader must not only be educated and experienced but it is important to be an intelligent and sensible to the problems faced by his/her people. Leaders of the government should win the trust of people by being strategically friendly avoiding any kind of provocation or war with allies and must also allow a degree of transparency in the day to day working and the governance of the country.
Mr. Kiir does not lead; he is being led. He is weak and seems to be controlled by other (Dink). I don’t want to hear him say one thing today and the opposite tomorrow. To be an effective leader, you must learn how to share your vision with others in a way that helps them commit whole-heartedly to the same dream. Inspire others and there’s nothing you can’t do. Lead by example; share the dream; commit to the cost; and keep hope alive. Nobody wants a leader who follows the public mood or a leader who looks like a deer on the head lights, but one who shapes it.
In a country with a population of over a million people, it is pathetic that our leaders can’t even read. Don’t you think our country needs and can do much better than this? We still follow caste, region and reservation politics. Why do we keep selecting/electing no-good, gold diggers to power? What can we expect out of tired and septuagenarian politicians who only know how to play dirty political games and are only concerned about saving their seats of power? Why do we have illiterates and criminals making policies which affect over a million people? Is that the best that we, as a democratic nation, have to offer? What we need today are young, educated, polished and sophisticated politicians who will bring some efficiency to the political system. It is shameful to hear and read about our uneducated president and MPs using the choicest of abuses and exhibiting crass behavior in Khartoum and Parliament House. We have to start looking beyond caste and region politics.
Before and after the British colonialism, the Sudan as a nation repeatedly failed to produce a strong leadership in each and every level of its government. Sudan have yet to experience a sincere leader that can rise up and lift its people from ground, like Gandhi, Washington, Dr. King and many others did for their people and nations. The Sudanese people have been unfortunate to have the opportunity to select their leaders, and no one ever gave them the chance to know the qualities that a good leader should have.
Throughout the history and the biographies of the world leaders, one cannot avoid, but notice that every leader in our history had some form of education, whether elected or selected, and before one becomes a leader one must prepared for it, whether thorough schooling or acquiring leadership skills. One must also be prepared before he allows himself to assume any leadership position. Apparently, Southerner or Sudanese’s leaders fail this critical step, instead of educating or preparing themselves, they devote most of their time building tribal/clan loyalties; which in turn produces leadership conflicts that we are witnessing today.
Couple centuries ago, when 55 delegates who attended the United States Constitutional Convention were a distinguished body of men who represented a cross section of 18th-century American leadership. They were called the Founding Fathers of the USA, all of these men were not from same tribes or clans, but they all had strong educational background, thirty-five of the Founding Fathers were lawyers or had benefited from legal training, and some had also become judges. They all had a true education and knowledge (an education or a knowledge which freed the minds out of tribalism). Again, this shows how important it is that leaders must possess some form of true education, before or if that leadership is intended to succeed.
I think it is a time that the Southerner people to think something different. The public deserve better leadership same as the rest of the world, a well-educated and honest leader who puts his/her individual and tribal interest behind the interest of the nation. Not like dictator, illiterate, militarily oriented, tribally minded or/and uneducated leader like those who created and put the Southerner people the continuous suffering and the anarchy. South Sudan need a real chance of having knowledgeable leader and parliamentarian; it is unfortunate to see that the Southerner public to be represented by a bunch hypocrites with no college education, a bunch that cannot knowledgably and civilly hold productive discussions.
Mr Famous Big_Logic_Boy
INTERVIEW: Deputy Secretary General says SPLM a growing power in North Sudan
Yasser Arman your playing a silly policy in north I have just realised, your trying to sit on the bridge between NCP and SPLA/M by acting like your supporting SPLA/M in north, But if South vote for seperation where will you be? Excuse me, your well understood but we can admit you to act because there is no solution to have a SPLA/M representative in the North, also make sure that if SPL/M lose under the savage of this Goss, your in trouble you may have to surrender north or the while Sudan in general. Be specfic before we heard from ICC.
tayeb M. Alhassan
INTERVIEW: Deputy Secretary General says SPLM a growing power in North Sudan
As a Sudanese from the north side of the country I would like to admit and express regret that SPLA/M message was immensely misunderstood in the north during the years of war until the CPA was signed and SPLA/M icon Dr. John Garang had a chance to speak out through the national mass media conveying his real message behind the 21 years of war. The man was able to banish the 21 years northerners fear in 21 days and left this Doniy to meet his god with remarkable forgiveness. Yes, SPLM now popular in the north because of the message carrying birth of a new nation and a democratic a land of chances to all and malice towards none. Go ahead SPLM for the message already understood.
Deng Khamis
let us support SPLM
Brothers and sisters we should not loose faith in SPLM. We fed it with our blood. Please show some tolerance. SPLM is our only salvation in this country. Let us hail that at least we have leadership and then we will reform it. It is hgih time for SPLM in the north so let us support it in the south.
Junubi_Aswod
INTERVIEW: Deputy Secretary General says SPLM a growing power in North Sudan
Yasser Arman is a perpetual communist liar in the SPLM. He is a dictator in the Northern Sector who so often talks about democratic transformation on the basis of New Sudan Delusive Ideology but does the opposite practice himself. He ran to USA to learn English language in the same university that the hero of Peace DR. John Garang did his PhD studies but came back as the same donkey with no English language or any academic degree. Arman want to be Dr. Garang by any means but he is so fake that he knows nothing best except lies. He was only good to be used during the time of war with the North but he is very useless to be utilized for the time of peace.
For logic sake, how could the SPLM be the majority in the North when this party does not want Northerners to continue washing their anus and penises with water or scratch them with stones when they go to toilet or prepare to pray?
SPLM is an enemy for the Muslims in the North except the treacherous communists like Arman and some of his family and friends who do not believe in Islam or any religion and who practice homosexuality in Medani Town. The only strong base for the SPLM is the South and that is why Salva Kiir finds himself with no duty in the North(including Darfur).
SPLM will never succeed in the North and whoever is from the SPLM in the South who thinks of contesting in the North on dead New Sudan’s ticket is digging his own political grave towards the dead end.
Emo Tongun
INTERVIEW: Deputy Secretary General says SPLM a growing power in North Sudan
Hallo readers
Yassir Arman is smart guy, he is having a national vision for the whole Sudan, he stands with Southerners aganist his Muslim Northerners; just a hint to our Southern people, look after all these years he was in the SPLM nobody in the SPLM abble to gain anything from the massage Arman wanted to convey.
Don’t be emmotionally supporting your tribe even if they are wrong. But very unfortunately Dinkers are practicing tribalism emmtionally supporting there fellow jenge even if they were wrong. Now some of their commanders were killing innocient lives in Equatoria, terrorising civilians, expecting to say that SPLA/M is popular???!!!
SPLA/M is lossing the ground in Equatoria. Because good leadership you supposed to hear addressing problems cause by SPLA/M but he is keeping his mouth shout. I call uppon Yasir Arman to Echo out the wrong actions of SPLA GUN minded, tribalist, people don’t know to write their name or sign there name can kill someone who can read and write. These educated Southerners South invested resources to bring him/her to that level of knowledge, why you primitive SPLA soldier jenge killing those people????
To me, now i am satisfied it is only Mansour Khalid, and Yassir Arman who has the vision of New Sudan: United Sudan under a new foudations of Equality and justice.
How can you said that you were to liberate the country from oppression and here you are opperessing??, strange: because [killing of people IS OPPERSSION]. if [HE] Kiir don’t know.
Let Mansour Khalid or Yasir Arman is to compette with Omer El-bashir. SPLA/M will go a head: but neither of this SPLA/M is heading to the grave of tribalism, stage of lawlessness, anarchy, clanism. Because, look; SPLA souldiers refused to change barbaric behaviour, get reform, like an a real army, instead they were actting as millitias Dinkaweed. I urgue Yasir Arman to be fair, speak also to the problems concerned Southerners but not just North. Because SPLA/M for United New Sudan Vision.
Struggle continues.
D to D
Patriotic Bull
INTERVIEW: Deputy Secretary General says SPLM a growing power in North Sudan
Hi Emo Tungun,
I realised why you hate Dinkas despite the liberation they did for you.
Dinka have never been making lines to fuck your mum and sisters like what Arabs had been doing. I tell you that can never happen if you expect such to happen.
Furthermore you talk childishly that Dinka are not educated which makes no sense, can you imagine how possible could it be for us to fight for freedom and finally brought CPA to the Entire Southern Sudanese without education.
please stop you foolish and childish talks on this web.