UDP protests exclusion from Juba Conference

By Ngor Arol Garang

September 10, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The leader of a newly formed Party, United Democratic Party (UDP), Mr. Tong Lual Ayat, today protested exclusion from Juba conference saying it violates South-South dialogue and unity of purpose amongst southern political parties.

In a meeting convened by the SPLM, the Sudanese opposition parties are preparing to hold before the end of the month a conference to discuss the political future of the country from the perspective of next year elections and the 2011 referendum.

The SPLM said it meant to invite the vital and main political forces in the country, the National Congress Party, its peace partner as well as some forces of the National Unity government.

The UDP is one of the 74 Sudanese political parties formed last year and registered in 2009 by group comprising all Sudanese ethnic group including northerners from Dongala, Darfur, East, Blue Nile, Nuba Mountains and Abyei saying wants to restore the country’s dignity tarnished by wars.

The chairman of the United Democratic Party, Mr. Tong Lual, in an interview with Sudan Tribune, condemned the SPLM decision to exclude them from Juba Conference and described the last week alliance with the Umma party of former Prime Minister Sadiq Al-Mahdi as a conspiracy against the interest of southern Sudanese people.

“The Umma alliance with SPLM is nothing but conspiracy against people interest in Southern referendum and elections,” he said; adding that Juba conference has fallen short to mention these issues in the papers presented by the SPLM and its allies.

“SPLM should have organized this conference in agreement with her partner,” the National Congress Party, because contents of agendas of discussion are national issues, therefore, SPLM failure to convince NCP with other parties is a violation of the CPA and SPLM shall be held accountable to what will happen in this country,” he commented .

Tong who was angered by the exclusion from Juba conference during the interview further said that SPLM decision to ignore political parties emanated from Secretary Pagan Amum Okiech whom he described doesn’t care about the will of southern political forces.

He went further to add that SPLM would have invited southerners to discuss the future of the south together,” instead of doing it alone with their Northerners alliances.

“This conference is similar to Juba 1947 conference, when the future of southern Sudan was discussed by educated Northerners and few Southerners sultans who were not educated,” he described.

He further added that because of such ill-exclusion, the 1947 agreement resulted into Torit mutiny in 1955, which became Anya Movement in 1961 and the SPLM in 1983, he explained.

“Southerners are tired of war and therefore, any future of southern Sudan should not be decided alone by the SPLM,” he adds.

He continued to say this movement was only mandated by the Southerners to negotiate CPA with NCP on behave of the entire marginalized populace.

He said the liberation war was fought by many Sudanese people from different parties who became SPLM in the bush under New Sudan Vision.

The angered UDP chairman concluded his interview with call upon President of GOSS and Chairman of the SPLM to look in to these issues which exclude participation of the political parties immediately prior to the commencement of the conference on 21 September 2009 in Juba.

(ST)