Chairman SPLM: History will ultimately vindicate you!

“The time is always right to do the right thing. A right delayed is a right denied”.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

By Luk Kuth Dak

November 8, 2009 — I am pretty sure I had borrowed that quote by one of my heroes, the civil rights icon, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., before, but I think it worth repeating over and over again, especially in the aftermath of the much publicized controversial remarks made by the Chairman of the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM) Lt. General Salva Kiir Mayardit, in which he forcibly urged his fellow Southern citizens to exercise their right in 2011 referendum, to favor a vote for the separation, if they wish to be first-class citizens in their own land.

President Kiir has absolutely angered a whole host of people, but clearly he was pensive as he delivered his remarks that morning at the Kator’s Church. He definitely didn’t disappoint the Southern people who are yarning to breathe some fresh air of freedom, equality and justice for the first time in their lives. He courageously and bravely stood up tall to say what some coward leaders would otherwise whisper about only in the darkness of the night. Once again, he has proven that he has no one to fear in urging his people to realize their dreams and seize the moment to choose freedom over slavery, dignity over disrespect and justice over the never-ending oppression by the Arabs occupants of our land. Indeed, President Kiir has just said exactly what every Southern citizen wants him to repeat, each and everyday, until such time when justice and equality emerge and become a reality in Sudan.

“A decision not to help is a decision to harm”. Unknown source.

The leadership is all about making decisions that are sometimes not what everyone wants to hear. But they are decisions that have to be made for the greater good for all of the people that one leads. By so doing, President Kiir, today, had rallied behind him an unconditional and an overwhelming support of the vast majority of the Southern Sudanese folks all across the board.

Now, the legitimate question becomes: with such momentum and that popularity which has just been bestowed upon him, what more could he possibly ask for in order to speak up for what’s right, particularly on a major issue such as self determination and self-worth for South Sudan? Even more so, with such mandate, who really cares about the so-called “political correctness” and whether or not the oppressors’ feelings are going to get hurt?

It’s time to say, enough is enough.

At the same time, despite some of the SPLM leaders’ hastily efforts to recant (discount) Kiir’s courageous and brave statement, the vast majority of South Sudanese did not buy it. They know that Kiir didn’t fight the oppressors for much of his adult life only to be in submission to unjust treatment of slave-masters. He is aware after the untimely death of Dr. John Garang de Mabior that he is the ultimate protector of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). If he allows it to fail before his watchful eyes, history will never forgive him.

Meanwhile Southern Sudanese are extremely grateful to Ustaz Deng Alor, the Foreign Minister and Ustaz Lol Gatkouth, the GOSS’ Washington’s Representative, for their courageous stand to back up President Kiir’s remarks when the rest were busy trying to sugar-coat them. Simultaneously, they both said: if unity stands a chance, the Comprehensive Peace agreement must be fully implemented, including the constitutional right of Southern Sudanese people for self determination in 2011 referendum. Additionally, it’s sad that we have so many of the so-called leaders who just like to do most of the talking, but not so many that want to take a risky stand.

Hence, our future depends to a larger extent on the quality of leadership, and we hope that the SPLM will double its efforts to provide it in the days and months ahead at least till 2011. And yes, our freedom is not going to be handed to us in a golden plate. But we must continually fight for it to the very last breath in our bodies. That’s just the bitter truth we must learn live with.

As you can imagine, the NIF affiliated media, headed by one of the most vicious racist group of journalists, or what I call “ The Jallaba good ole boys” exclusive club that includes: Is mail Al-Atanani, Kamal Hassan Bakhiet, Ra’shid Abdulrahim, Dhia Adeen Balal, Adil Albaz and of course the most bigoted of all, Al-Basher’s uncle, Al-tayib Mustafa, to name a few. These hatemonger group wasted no time to dedicate their “ Yellow” newspapers to personally lambasted President Kiir that they have left no more room for any new insults should Kiir makes another statement that they wouldn’t like. All for no wrong doing other than the fact that he wants to fulfill his peoples’ dreams.

Ironically, however, these bigoted individuals have one thing in common. Not to mention greed and selfishness, they are all morally deficient and mentally deformed that they will not hesitate to do anything and everything including boot- licking of any dictator who is willing to pay for their filthy services with tax-payers money as Al-Basher’s regime does. You can call them Journalist as much as you want, but not me, of course.

Consequently, it’s self evident that there are quite a few Southerners who- for some strange reasons- are content with notion of being a second-class citizens on down. They are so determined to see to it that they stand in the way of those of us who just want to be treated equally and with dignity and respect there is in our own land. Unfortunately, there are among them some of the brightest sons and daughters South Sudan has to offer.
Just yesterday, in an interview with al Sahafa Arabic daily newspaper, a certain army general by the name of Garang Thuc Garang, came out of a blue to tell us that our hard earned right for separation and self-determination is the wrong thing to do, given to his allege that the SPLM didn’t deliver the dire services Southerners needed in the last four years.

But while there is no denying of the SPLM short falls and weakness, it’s extremely dangerous for people like Mr. Garang to try to deny our people the freedom they have paid for so very dearly, with their hearts and souls.

Personally, I have no recollection of having met Gen. Garang, even though my previous jobs as a newspaper reporter (Al-Ayaam) and as an anchorman with Juba Radio, allowed me an opportunity of meeting a whole host of politicians in South Sudan. Yet, a quick look at his file says a lot about his achievements. According to the interview, he graduated from the exclusively Arabs’ War College in Umdurman in 1987. He then served in the Sudanese Army for the next twenty-three- years only to join the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army in 1989, just four short years from the signing of the CPA.

In all fairness, his educational background seems to demand respect, which is why most Southerners I contacted in preparation of this article wanted to know why is it that our most educated are almost always seem to be the easiest “ catch of the day” for all of our enemies, particularly the NIF/NCP. Amazingly, the General brushed off some of the most serious inquiries concerning his defection from the SPLM/SPLA, except to say that he is currently forming a new party bearing the name of the: Confederate Sudanese National Party (CSNP).

Final thought

After more than half a century long and counting of oppression and gratuitous massacres of innocent civilians of South Sudan, it would be nothing short of treason for any true Southern Sudanese to still believe that the so-called unity is, indeed possible.

The ball is now at the NIF/ NCP’s corner. Either they impalement the CPA by the letter, or they leave us all alone.

The author is a former anchorman with Juba Radio. For comments, he can be reached at [email protected].