A Brief case for a United Sudan
By Leon Nyerere
August 16, 2009 — There have been a lot of talks lately about a possible unilateral declaration of independence of Southern Sudan by the SPLA/M. It is for the best interest of the people of Southern Sudan to remain a part of the larger Sudan not only because people of Southern Sudan do not qualify to be a nation but also because SPLA/M owes this other marginalized groups across the country. Moreover, opting for independence will mean a defeat but not a victory to SPLA/M.
It is not fare to compare late John Garang with the incumbent First Vice President and the leader of Southern Sudan, his Excellency Salva Kirr. People of Southern Sudan should refrain from the notion that somehow if Garang had lived the current social problems in the South could have been better. Like everyone else, Garang and Salva both have their areas of weakness and strength. One of the positive things that the leaders of Southern Sudan should learn and emulate from the late John Garang is political sophistication. He was so sophisticated politically; he managed to convince Sudanese people and the International community that SPLM was not just about the plight of the Southern Sudanese but the entire marginalized groups in the Sudan. The CPA that has enable people of the South to enjoy relative autonomy was in part made possible not only because Garang went around the world marketing SPLM using the names of the other marginalized groups such Darfurians but also because other disenfranchised groups like people of the Nuba Mountains lost their lives fighting for the SPLM because they believed that SPLM represented all Sudanese who live in the margin of the Sudanese society. It will be a betrayal if SPLM lead Southern Sudan to independence.
SPLA/M is the only rebel group in the country that has strong military capabilities enough to challenge the central government. SPLA/M now holds the balance of power. In absence of SPLA/M, the central government will crash any rebellion and literally put people of Darfur and Nuba mountains into slavery and the Beja people will become refugees. SPLA/M owes these groups and should help in bringing the justice that has been long over due to all Sudanese people regardless of ethnicity and religion.
There are those who argue that it is not the SPLM but the people of the Southern Sudan that will decide whether or not the region becomes independent in 2011. The truth is SPLM is making very little or even no effort at all to politicize people of Southern Sudan in such away that they see both the merits and demerits of independent Southern Sudan. Like NCP that has survived on the ignorance of Muslims in the North, SPLM is capitalizing on Southern Sudanese ignorance for its own political advantage.
It will be naïve to deny that NCP is not responsible for the current political and social mess in the Sudan from the East to the West and from the North to the South. It is a fact that Sudan since its independence has been ruled by a small group of Sudanese who preferred to be called Arabs. It is also a fact that black Africans are the original inhabitants of the Sudan and the Sudanese elite” Arabs” who are pushing other Sudanese groups away from being part of the Sudan came from somewhere out of African Continent. So, why are people of Southern Sudan allowing strangers to push them away instead of the other way around? Some may think that independence of Southern Sudan will mean a victory for the SPLA/M; no, it is a defeat. SPLM should dream bigger and should not settle only for the region of Southern Sudan but the entire country.
Curving a new country will not help solve problems of people of Southern Sudan due to the fact that people of Southern Sudan are very diverse and they have very little in common. The only thing that unifies people of Southern Sudan ironically is the existents of the so called “Arabs oppressors”. If Southern Sudan becomes independent, which group within the region will be the next enemy and a unifying factor? It is for the best interest of Southern Sudanese to remain a part of the larger Sudan to avoid turning their own guns on themselves.
The concern that if Southern Sudan decides to remain part of the larger Sudan its citizens will be oppressed again is legitimate. NCP is not willing to share wealth, and include all Sudanese in the basis of citizenship. But SPLM has one big advantage: the army. SPLM should change the rule of the game and should either renegotiate CPA or come up with a new agreement that will enable Southern Sudan to remain part of Sudan while maintain its military wing until the country becomes democratic.
The author is a graduate Sudanese student living in Canada. he can be reached at [email protected]
Akol Liai Mager
A Brief case for a United Sudan
Dear Leon,
I appreciate you due to the fact that you are a believer of a New United Sudan.
“A brief case for a United Sudan” is great, but I think you sold it to a wrong customer. I read it twice and came up with an analysis that made me think you have a great topic, but addressed wrong audiences.
Let’s come to the point I want to make. Marginalised people of Sudan, especially Southerners, the Nuba, Angesseners, the Beja and Darfurians have done their job regarding unity of Sudan, about 60% of unity is done by these people listed above.
The remaining 40% to complete the unity and make it a practical living thing is a shared job between those Sudanese Arab by names and Arab by blood in one hand and SPLM leadership on the other.
About 35% out of that 40% is a work of those categoriesed Arabs and 5% is a job need to be done by SPLM current leaders.
So, the right target groups of your article should be Arabs first and SPLM. The first target group have a easy job to do by just voting to the SPLM candidate should SPLM have one. The second target group, the SPLM leadership must come up with candidates for Presidency, Federal MPs as well as States MPs and they need to tell the Sudanese people what they will do with the power if handed to them by people.
Southerners, Nuba, Angesseners, the Beja and some Darfurians have done their job for unity with their blood. It is good that General elections come before Referendum. if the real target group fail to do their job, then those whose parents, sisters and brothers paid their blood for unity will have no choice than going for disengagement.
I did credite you for mentioning NIF or NCP as you put it as the mother of all mess in Sudan. That’s true, and that is why Northerners need to be told that you and NIF are the ones to determine the unity of Sudan and will be responsible should you reject the forces of unity by voting for this separatists NIF, UMMA and DUP leaders.
So, why should you lose your time talking to people who have kicked the ball to other side net? Talk to those whose ball is in theirs
Some people say that NIF will rig these scheduled elections, they have right to worry, but they forgot that SPLM have all powers it needs to protect people’s choice as well as it interests and should not be denied by any devil otherwise people would question the reason for having SPLA as a separate force.
I may be wrong, I would take the responsibility of what I have said, but I would like to see more articles calling for unity with well-identified audiences.
My apologies for long comment.
tayeb M. Alhassan
A Brief case for a United Sudan
This article is excellent however, SPLM/A in the variance of unity and secede will not going to achieve a lot unless be committed to a clear one target gall.
There are those who argue that it is not the SPLM but the people of the Southern Sudan that will decide whether or not the region becomes independent in 2011. The truth is SPLM is making very little or even no effort at all to politicize people of Southern Sudan in such away that they see both the merits and demerits of independent Southern Sudan. Like NCP that has survived on the ignorance of Muslims in the North, SPLM is capitalizing on Southern Sudanese ignorance for its own political advantages.
Here the other national parties have a major role to play in publicizing ignorant people in both sides to be aware of merits and demerits of unity and secede.
The advantage of CAP now, the South is self-governed and has 20% in the core of National Unity Government enjoying all privileges of countrywide premises, infrastructure and budgets.
It is for the best interest of the people of Southern Sudan to remain a part of the larger Sudan not only because people of Southern Sudan do not qualify to be a nation but also because SPLA/M owes this other marginalized groups across the country.
We don’t think that SPLM/A is going to condemn non-southerners longtime supports during the years of war to oblivion and denial.
Let’s talk in logic and forget about the nonsense.
Biliu
A Brief case for a United Sudan
Sudan Unity will lead to another revolution and total instability
It’s only two years apart for Southerners to go for self-determination, while anticipations highly ensuring the favoring of independence, yet we can not ignore the escalating fears on the horizon for most of the Southerners, the Sudan Interim Constitution has produced a decentralized government in Sudan and gave the South a considerable autonomy but through the current Constitution, we can not say things will maintain their grounds or moved to a better level.
Seeing through the 2005 CPA, we will find that this late agreement is not entirely different from 1970s Addis Ababa agreement which abolished by the Sudan Government in June 1983 except on self-determination provision, many hopes are hanging on the 2011 self-determination, North sees it as an end to the recurring revolutions on the South while South sees it as an opportunity to form a new state.
Through all the Southerners revolutions history, starting with The Anyanya 1955, SSLM 1972 and SPLM 1983, all movements promoted and fought for main points such as:
1-Unity of Sudan, which demonstrated through calling for a democratic and decentralized government in Sudan, that if succeeded, would put a closure for marginalization which Non-Arab Sudan citizens have been experiencing since the Independence of the Sudan in 1956.
2- Freedom of religion and belief, while the Muslim Arabs in the north imposing Islamic Sharia as origin of legislation for laws through out the Sudan, the South was calling for a governing system similar to secularism which if succeeded insures the rights of all Sudanese to share in the government without prejudicing to certain religion group.
3- Admitting the reality that Sudan is a Multi-Racial Nation, while Arabs on the north worked hard to portrait Sudan as Arab predominant country, ignoring the vast culture diversity in Sudan, Southerners revolutions focused on recognition of all the different races forming Sudan.
Through all the movements’ history, separation of the South never been stimulated as an option on any settlement or peace agreements between South and the North, there was a slight attempt by the SSLM in 1972 but such attempt was decreased to Autonomy governing in the South. And later on put aside when all Southerners movements merged under SPLM in 1983, instead of fighting for South Sudan Liberation, the Movement goals were changed to include the whole Sudan, even with the great burden came with the concept of Liberating Sudan as a whole, SPLM managed to gravitate non-Southerners to it’s lines, as so, the SPLM became a national movement for all marginalized Sudanese citizens.
In 2005, separation became as an option when all the means for a common united government failed, the north still the same ugly north which forced the South to create Anyanya in 1955, SSLM in 1972 and SPLM in 1983, if and I hope not the Southerners favored the Unity, probably we will witness an action similar to that of September 1983 when the late president Mohammed Al-Nimari issued a set of decrees imposing Sharia law in all Sudan, some CPA provisions key points will be abolished and north eventually will reneging the CPA.
Another ugly face of the unity is that, north will never accept or allow a NON-Muslim to rule Sudan as per Islam concepts and regulations; accordingly the north is politically sticking to an Islamic government which will marginalize all Non-Muslims and insure their right to dominate power indefinitely, this will never promote Sudan to become a democratic country at any point.
Regarding to the decentralization, as per CPA, the government of Sudan (the North) is entitle to 50% cut of the South Petroleum revenues, if unity occurred, that percentage is expected to be increased, that’s means we will go back to the same old rhythm, resources will be extracted from the South and accumulated in Khartoum, development will be retarded and locals will be more lucky if they have 2% of their production.
Some Southerners acclaiming a full ownership of the whole Sudan, hoping one day the so called Brain-Washed Africans in Khartoum will come to realized the roots of the conflict and stand for their identity, that was the vision of our father John Garang, I fully agreed to that, but such aspiration has exhausted the movement and nearly caused a dissension within the SPLM /A many times, Arab are rightful residence of Sudan and there’s no chance to turn that other ways, as there’s no gleam of hope that we will be able to reach out or convert the Brain-Washed Africans and isolate the Arab which are minority in whole, Separation is the only option left for all Sudanese to put an end to the chronic conflict between south and the north, if not for the aspirations which we finally realized are not feasible, South Sudan independence would happen long time ago and lot of Souls would be saved.
The NCP is reluctant to agree to a referendum law and pushing for 75%yes to declare independence, from my perspective, those are obstacles to make separation difficult and unfeasible, what NCP should admit and the mere citizens in the north understand is that, Separation will take place wither they like it or not, obviously not because Southerners are separatist, simply because it’s the only solution to instability in Sudan, we have failed to reach a common ground where we can live as one nation, war has depleted us to the bones, suffering has to stop, to do so, we need a durable solution, Separation can achieve that for all Sudanese.
Now the task for a final solution is not at the hands of the NCP or the northerners any more, rather, it’s at the hands of SPLM and the Southerners, favoring unity will lead us to the same hole we left at 2005, revolution and total instability will be at large, except this time it will be for eternity.!!!
wani
A Brief case for a United Sudan
mr leon i just wish to bring to your attention that dont be fooled in the names of unity or new united sudan. in my tradition if food is put for children to eat and the big ones scramble for most of or if there is alot of fights over the food being eaten in one place the only thing i do as a parent i divide the food so that each persons eats differently wheather its enough or not. this settles the quarel.
since independence southerners like you have been fooled in the names of history, that initially the country belonged to blacks yes its true but look around africa how many nations have originall indegenious people, whether the arabs came yesterday or 100 years ago we have left them the desert areas but they should not follows us in the jungles of southern sudan, sweets words were given to our old southern chiefs before indepence making them opt for unity but that was there time
but when i analyse you carefully you are a wolf impersonating to be a sheep .your stay in australia settles the issue.you are comfortable there as an australian suppressing the aborigines and other locals while the arabs are doing the same to your relatives
if you belief in democracy then stop campagning for unity you are amongst a confused group of southerners in diaspora who think that southerners can not govern themselves, PLEASE enjoy the world of australia quietly but never utter you arab misconception of unity to us
mohamad adam
A Brief case for a United Sudan
learned people there pleas iam still waiting
stop abusing for a while and tell me
who authorised the bashirs and splm to talk ND NEGOTIATE ON OUR BEHALF?