JEM’s Post Independence South Confederation is a political nonesense

By Isaiah Abraham

June 1, 2009 — JEM official in the person of Adullahi Osman El Tom has written a piece of work (article entitled “Towards Confederation between Independent South and North Sudan”) last week in which he projected a confederation arrangement after Independence of the Southern Sudan, as an option that could keep the two Sudan states in the path to peace and progress. My contention goes with some of his genuine assertions right to paragraph three- in his misleading thoughts and advice-, however the foundational structure of his argument can’t go unchallenged!

Mr. El Tom scoffed with a whiff of sarcasm against the people of Southern Sudan, so strong that it jumped the pages, especially in paragraph six and seven. His thoughts were stimulating and exasperating as inspiring as it was disappointing. It was a potent mix: part consolation part clear triangulation and part a brilliant jibes cloned with ruthless and relentless that almost disguise the shrouded content. His ignorance or what not, makes me lose my intellectual nerves in contention, after the learned gentleman touched a wrong button, by willfully suggested and I quote “separation of the Southern Sudan is bound to be bitterly, painful, emotive and resentful.” and that its better have “popular support for the project confederation…; be a pre-condition validation through a referendum or a similar undertaking”.

What was going on in his mind exactly in those clauses? Sincerely, do we need to have Plan B if the outcome pointed to separation of the South from the North, if at all there isn’t a sinister plan underneath? What would be that be for anyway? I don’t think its time to lecture anyone about the benefits of being together or being apart. The ball is with the Sudanese people, especially now Southerners. But, when will the North stop conspiring against the people of Southern Sudan, Oh heaven?

What on the other hands are the “formidable challenges” Mr. Adullahi thought couldn’t be surmounted after independence of Southern Sudan? Are the border security issues, Northern markets interest in the South and animal in the southern forest formidable reasons to warrant a confederation for the two emerging two countries? Or in which way should the confederation be a viable solution to coexistence of the two quasi-jurisdiction two states? The current arrangement furthermore tends to resemble it, what shall be an added value of that confederation when the South separate from the North?

Mr. Al Tom, my eyes are red with anger because of your conscious attempt to scratch the past wounds when you conspicuously said, the South would be dependent on the North economically and on human capital need if they go alone. I don’t believe the ‘food, agricultural, oil pipelines, light industrial productions, access to a port’ according to your wordings, could justify the abuse you have inflicted to our people in those passages; a familiar to Arabs derogative remarks by the Arabs the enemies of our people. How dare are you man to mock and smack the intelligence of Southerners! Sir be known to you that separation of Southern Sudan isn’t a try and error matter, or a joke- sad as it might sound- we will part ways with you!!!.

But wait a minute: what is surprising today about Southerners interest to secede from the Northerners? This is an open intention known all over the world and therefore hypocritical to feign a surprise at the percentage figure of those going for succession. Mr. Pagan Amum you thought would vote for unity is a Southerner who has sacrificed everything for the freedom of his people, nothing is/will be attractive to make him abandon the cause of his people and move his home from Dingirshupu (Malakal) to Bahari in Khartoum affluent superb. But surely, there is a gleaning lesson am learning from you and I know who you are! For now to that time, you got to represent facts the way the look like; time for those ‘strategies’ had ong elapsed. In essence, one thought you could give a break to your old tricks and give room for democratic rights of others. If the South becomes poor and insecure is that your business? What moral authority do you really have as the people of Darfur about Southern given your dirty history against the people of South Sudan?

Oh no, there must something we don’t know the JEM official knows about the future of the Sudan; something akin to what Mr. Amum the SPLM Secretary General alluded in his ‘alliance’ commodity and that of Dr. Turabi formation of new government. If that is so, then am afraid, you need to go back to your Western schemers; we are marching towards next year general elections and that of the referendum for an independent home land, the year after. No amount of diversionary and shallow ruse will stop this march! Your team has wasted previous time doing the undoing. Sudanese are going forward and the two partners in the agreement (CPA) are also limping together until the end of the Interim Arrangement.

In short, go to Doha and preach your confederation animal there to Northerners in your round table talks, may be it could work between the two of you. As for the South Sudan, I beg you to leave these people alone, enough with charades and charlatens, we had enough of these from you the collective North!

Isaiah Abraham is a Southern Sudanese; he is reachable at [email protected]