The guilt of SPLM-DC

By Mabior Philip Mach

June 22, 2009- The new splinter group of Sudan People’s Liberation Movement- the SPLM for democratic change (SPLN-DC) – that has recently been formed has actually enough rights to exist as a party. It is rightly so, because its formation is an exercise of democratic rights and political freedom. But from philosophical and analytical thinking, the splinter group is a mere exaggeration of just a clique with in the SPLM that fights for a constitutional position. From another perspective, it is a team of decoys who have nothing to do with the plight of the people of southern Sudan.

SPLM-DC, according to the statements made by its politically camouflaging chairman on its day of declaration, a copy of which is with the author, has no distinct vision and destination that relates to people of Southern Sudan. It criticises SPLM marginally and has failed to identify what SPLM, in its partnership with NCP, has failed to bring to the South, which it opts to achieve. In other words, it has no ink on how Southerners are cheated byIt has also failed on its first day, not even reaching second or third, to note that the north is constraining the implementation of the CPA. So it has no connection with Southerners!

As Lam talked of, corruption really undeniably exist in the leadership of SPLM, but where will Lam get the guts to rebuke it when he himself has been bribed by different parties to betray Southerners for more than four times now in 26 years?

To make it worse, supporters of this splinter group are intellectuals whose reasoning capacity is deeply embeeded in tribal thinking, and this reduces the group in to a clone of tribal feuds.

Formation of SPLM-DC is also part of internal-tribal incompatibility. During the split of 1991, Lam wanted Pagan Amum, the Secretary General of SPLM, to be on his side. But being an intellectual with open brain, he resisted with a condition that diplomatic solutions have to be sought, if at all the claims exist. Here then, Lam became far from Pagan.

The insistence on comprehensive internal settlement other than a tribal dominion was a growth moment of their differences. And being from two different larger groups in Shilluk, it became a rivalry with Pagan telling his loyal men to be far from Lam while Lam himself displayed Pagan as some one who has allowed his tribesmen to be dominated in presence of able people due to his lack of tribal bonds. He went far to cite that those of Pagan and what he called ‘his group’ even sacrificed their leader one time to be used for graduation of Koryom so as to join SPLM.

So having Pagan as the Secretary General for SPLM, to whom many others are loyal, while he has no any other hope of taking any other high position was a challenge to Lam at home, and this propelled him to form his own party for which he can be a leader so that he can appear as a leading member of Shilluk, whose issue can not be solved at his personal level. Look at his latest publication, “SPLM: inside an African revolution”, in which he unknowingly revealed himself and the brewed differences.

To be convinced further, also look at how some deceptive intellectuals from Shilluk are meandering like Lam. The easiest example is the folk, James Okuk, who for so long has criticised SPLM for its vision of new Sudan, to which he refers to as ‘delusive’ and ‘vague’ ideology. He has been at hard coats with Pagan, an activist of this ideology orphaned by its architect John Garang. One could think that, with exception of tribal reasoning, Okuk could side with any one in SPLM who is on verge towards secession, and therefore, if by any means SPLM has lost vision of new Sudan, it can be to his advantage; stimulating drum-beating for separatists.

However, by surprise, this intellectual and his likes reduced to a no-vision man when they unnecessarily and unrealistically gang up with SPLM-DC to criticise SPLM for having lost vision. On which ground could they stand to support the gain of vision of New Sudan against which they stood for so long? The answer is simple; Okuk is from the same group from which Lam emanates, and according to him he must support SPLM vision when said by Lam but not Pagan or any other person. Surely it is a heart befell guilt for SPLM-DC to be planting such seeds of political chameleons.

The most blunderous move this made was to turn Kiir and Wani against each other by articulating that they are ploting with Riek to host him. But the evil of lie easily reveals itself. He went further to believe that he should criticise Riek in favour of Kiir by saying he wasted a lot of money in his various trips as vice president, LRA peace talks and corruption. No one can blindly appreciate criticism; he has wasted them and that is what his constitutional position requires except corruption! He has a big hand in GoSS failure but not like he put it.

This lost of intellectual reasoning and consistent philosophical and analytical thinking among SPLM-DC advocates is the guilt they have made Southerners to suffer from for so long. To this moment Southerners are careful, looking at such creatures, and what Kiir said at the opening of the parliament that, “history shall not forgive those who permit themselves to be used to destroy their own people”, is concrete remark. John Garang and SPLM have forgiven all political sinners to SPLM but history has not.

The writer is based in Juba. He can be reached at [email protected]