Should Isaias Afworki be welcomed in South Sudan?
Should Isaias Afworki be welcomed in South Sudan?
By: Luk Kuth Dak – Atlanta.
April 2, 2009 –Undoubtedly, the Eritrean strongman and President- for life- Asaias Afworfi has proven beyond any reasonable doubt that, he’s South Sudan’s public enemy number one, with his latest intrusive outburst and outrageous assault on the Sudan peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the government of the South Sudan (GOSS).
The Eritrean leader has seriously and dangerously crossed the line of all the diplomatic norms that govern among the nations of the world, and has interfered greatly in the internal affairs of South Sudan, and insulted not only its system and the leadership, but certainly its people in general.
The ill-intended and inflammatory remarks came to being in an interview with the National News, in Jan 17, 2009. Responding to a question posted to him by the interviewer, about the ups and downs in the relations between Sudan and Eritrea, the dictator wasted no time to veer from the actual question, to pour all the blame on the SPLM and GOSS respectively.
“ Within three years since the singing of the Comprehensive Agreement (CPA), the situation further deteriorated. We could say the situation is going out of hand. The government of South Sudan has received more than five billion dollars. Where this amount of money gone? If we ask how many roads have been constructed; to what extend has the supply of potable water being made available, what health service has been provided, what job opportunities have created, development and investment projects have been implemented in South Sudan? The answer is definitely none. Instead of perusing unity, ethnic and clan divisions became rampant Instead of good governance, a corrupt system has been established, he said.”
Obviously, the Eritrean dictator, not only has he gone wild, but he’s also seriously violated the sovereignty of another country, which’s consisting with his behavior with all of the other neighboring nations. Apparently, the dictator’s mission is to tear apart as many countries as possible, in order to quench his thirst for power, recognition and control of the Horn of African, if not the continent as a whole.
Basically, anyone who reads that interview, would undoubtedly think, and rightfully so, that everything in Eritrea is all but rosy, that South Sudan has become his only worry. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is, his government is well documented by the United Nations, as one of the most corrupt and most brutal regimes in the world, only second to the regime of his mentor and fellow dictator, the fugitive Omar al- Bashir.
After eighteen long years of totalitarianism, the Eritrean people have yet to see any real tangible developmental projects being undertaken, which explain, indeed, why his fellow countrymen are fleeing the country in millions, in search of a better life elsewhere around the globe, including South Sudan which he has just insulted.
Consequently, South Sudan shouldn’t depend heavily on some of the African countries like Eritrea, which can’t seem to resist or pass up billions of bribes by al-Basher’s regime. Evidently, the Eritrea’s tyrant has cashed in already, just as did before him, the African Unity, for his latest cooperation and attachment to the radical extremist Islamic National Front (INF), which explains why his country was the first to be visited by the world’s most wanted man, Omar al-Basher. It also solidifies the rumors that have been circulating around of al-Basher’s regime financial support of Eritrea’s lobbying campaign to become the number twenty- third member of the Arab League. In addition, there ‘s virtually nothing, really, to be had, nor learned from the Eritrea’s regime, whose only export commodities are terrorism and communism.
Furthermore, despite the fact that there is still some healing that needs to happen in the relations between Ethiopia and South Sudan, it’s critically essential not to comprise, nor underestimate the importance of our historical ties with Ethiopia, for an Eritrea that is leaning, more and more, to the right-wing of the extreme Islamic and Arab worlds. After all, it was Ethiopia that has hosted all of the revolutionary movements in South Sudan, time and again.
Our message to Eritrean strongman, Isaias Afworki, is plain and simple: you’re not welcomed in South Sudan., period.
The author is former Juba Radio anchorman and Sudan Tribune contributor. He can be reached at: [email protected].
Nile
Should Isaias Afworki be welcomed in South Sudan?
Definitely Isaias should the first one to be welcomed in South Sudan because his interview was pure truth, and only those who knew they’ve stolen public funds can oppose his visit to South Sudan. development doesn’t come very easily people have to work for it and that was the kind of message that Mr.President Afworki was trying to convey to the people of Southern Sudan. he is a good neighbor I like someone who tells the truth as it is rather than those who misled others by being appreciative to them while they knew things aren’t going well.
John Costa
Should Isaias Afworki be welcomed in South Sudan?
Your tone is nationalistic, I sympathies with you as Southern Sudanese! Nevertheless, before you go further, do some research; figure out what halted South Sudan from development? Where this money had spent? Who was in charge? When this [five billion] money had being transferred to South Sudan? Why there are no progresses? After you answer these questions, then you can go back and slam his argument? Believe me you will look good after that? At least bring some facts that defy his statement, will help us reader get the point than just slamming on his comment. Once more, bring your opponent argument, and supply it with some facts that indicate what had happen with five billion. You are writing is vague, does sound likes pro-government.
Akol Liai Mager
Should Isaias Afworki be welcomed in South Sudan?
My answer to the topic and the question of whether or not Mr. Afworki should be welcomed in South Sudan if he wants to visit, is yes, since Afworki is not an international indicted president and his past track records.
But Afworki would have won wider New Sudan’s citizen support if he did have courage to pay a visit to Juba as Mubarak did and raise his concerns directly to the GOSS and SPLM leadership if remarks counted on him ever exist.
Eritrean people and their goverment under Afworki leadership has supported long oppressed people of Southern Sudan in particular, and the African Sudanese in general for a very long time just to claim back their stolen rights.
Mr. Luk Kuth Dak is a very respected writer to me due to his past articles, but this particular one might have not been well-researched particulary, it did not have audio tape that recorded Afworki’s voice for back-up.
Other thing our concern writers should consider is that, encouraging young SPLM generation to work hard democratically, take over the leadership [I am not calling for take-over through Tanks] and lead the way to smooth transition of power in the party and in the country.
Anyway I remain suspicious about an accuracy of Mr. Afworki remarks despite his inviting international indicted and wanted fugitive to his Presidential Palace. That move of Afworki would have been a good topic for Mr Luk to write an article, but not to the extense of calling a ban for Afworki visiting South Sudan if he want.