The Satanic Verses of Dr. Lam Akol

By Santino Fardol

January 23, 2010 — As a young boy in the late 1980s, I used to admire Dr. Lam Akol as one of Southern Sudanese idols in terms of his shining education background and for having left his teaching position at the University of Khartoum when he voluntarily joined the National Liberation Movement the SPLM/A in July 1986. Joining SPLM/A, Dr. Lam has not only portrayed himself in the eyes of many southerners as a true son who cared for his nation’s problems but also motivated thousands of southern elites especially the students who joined the Movement in numbers. In addition, he sent a muscular and clear signal to all northern elites that southerners are drained with their bad policies.

However, well accommodated in the hierarchy of the SPLM/A, Dr. Lam soon exposed his true colours to southerners as a conspirator and as one of the most dangerous enemies of the people when he and his conspirators defected from the Movement in 1991 in what is known as the Nasir Coup which left halve in the SPLM/A. As a result of his traitor attitudes and his greedy-cuts for leadership, many innocent southerners were massacred following the aftermath. Nevertheless, not satisfied with his political messes, Dr. Lam’s self-obsessed led him once again to cross burning lines in the time when things are critical in our history. In his recent political prophetic statement and attempts to bury Southern Sudan call for independent state, Lam’s “suicide” statement will neither do him good in the upcoming elections 2010 nor in the future state of Southern Sudan.

In his last ever controversial statement, Dr. Lam stated that “under the present weak government in the south, calling for secession would be suicide”. He went further to justify his bad intentions by saying “at the moment, with the state of hostility in the South, with the state of tribal conflicts, intra-tribal conflicts, any call for secession at this moment will be a call for the ’Somalisation’ of Southern Sudan” (Sudan Tribune, 17 January, 2010).

The underlying declaration of hostilities against Southern Sudan and the people of South are serious and should be critically viewed as extremely evil. Dr. Lam’s assumption that the current situation will lead independent state of Southern Sudan into turmoil like that of Somalia illustrates three fundamental hypotheses. 1) His intention to enslaved himself in the north when southerners voted for separation in 2011; 2) use his last affinity card to serve his masters’ interest; or 3) Dr. Lam is in state of disarray or completely lost directions.
In fact, for many years, Dr. Lam has betrayed himself, his nation and his two times enemies the NCP and the SPLM. As agreed between him and his masters when he created his SPLM-DC in 2009, no surprise that he the adopted child and poppet of the NCP would spell out his masters’ propaganda which they always use to tell international communities that South is not ready yet to govern itself. What a troubled mind! To Dr. Lam’s knowledge, Southern Sudan is strong than ever and would never be like your dim-witted example “Somalisation”.

It has been argued by many researchers that no signal country with zero internal or external problems. I am not suggesting that the current situations and unprecedented inter-tribal conflicts in Southern Sudan which are the indirect results of the statements such as yours, enemies of peace and self-greedy politicians one of whom is you are unacceptable and will do us well.

Dr. Lam, your long hatred against the secession of Southern Sudan placed you on the top 10 enemies of the nation. Instead of using your education skills to promote and preach peace and unity, you disgraced yourself and our entire nation by such unfruitful statements. Northern Sudan is not and will never be your safe heaven. It will be this nation (southern nations) that you have been betraying for years that will bury you when God passes His Mighty judgment on you.

In actual fact, the use of white phosphorus bomb “suicide” by Dr. Lam can be traced back from his July, 2009’s visit to Syria when he met with the senior Syrian official who slipped to him the full support of the Hamas for their far-flung new Arab brother who despite miles away defends their struggle against Israelis. Despite the absence of hard evidences to support and culprit him, here in this junction questions can be asked why immediately visiting Syria after supporting the Hamas against Israeli’s Gaza offensives? Wasn’t the visit meant to indirectly meet with Hamas exiled political leader Mr. Khaled Meshal? I shall leave this for you to figure out.

Now let me embark on my three hypotheses that i suggested early and which i thought influenced his decision and let him yowled for the NCP.

1. The hypothesis that suggests his intention to enslaved himself in the north when southerners voted for separation in 2011.

Although Dr. Lam claimed to be the champion and the one who brought about the call for self-determination is totally false and absurd. The call for the rights of southerners to govern themselves “self-determination” was first mentioned in 1947, in the Juba Conference by elders such as Chief Lolik. Lam’s repeated attempts to become the leading figure in Southern Sudan politics have been slowdown by his controversial acts and unstable character. Cleverly enough as he is, Dr. Lam realized how southerners are fed up with his policies and how his chances to perform well in the upcoming elections are remote. So, he used this occasion to prepare for his next exile when Southern Sudan becomes an independent state. Despite the fact that everyone is disgruntled with the statement, i strongly urge Dr. Lam to publicly apologize to all southerners and to abandon his party the SPLM-DC to prove to the people of Southern Sudan that he really denounces evil. Equally, i urge him to quit politics at once and resume his teaching profession. This is what he is good for. I am sure Lam will be accommodated back and forgiven.

2. The hypothesis that suggests Lam used his last affinity card to serve his masters’ interest.

For many years, Dr. Lam has been known to be someone who uses occasions to promote himself and his political agenda. Tired of being marginalize, he seized the opportunity of the NCP’s plans to derail the implementation of the CPA. The package of the NCP’s plan includes destabilizing the GoSS and the entire Southern Sudan by encouraging weak southerners and turns them against the SPLM. And because Lam is the weakest of all, he was pushed to create his infamous party (SPLM-DC) in exchange to serve NCP’s agenda. Evidence, the SPLM has always claimed that Lam received the support of the CNP when he created his party.

Why i called it the last affinity card? Dr. Lam knows that sooner or later after losing the bit for the president of the Southern Sudan in the April’s elections, he and his party will die away and therefore will have no further political opportunities to perform his dirty political games against South. Anyway, he is obliged to fulfill his contract with the NCP.

3. The hypothesis that suggests Dr. Lam is in state of disarray or completely lost directions.

Dr. Lam knows that after referendum and in the New State of Southern Sudan, there will be no cheating, no army rebellion because our unity will be tidy than ever. And because his dirty political manoeuvres are coming to an end, it is naturally that the old man is mentally disturbed to see his entire career going into the bin. But because he is smart enough, he wants to use the theory and one of the terror’s tactics he learned recent from his Hamas brothers “The Suicide Theory”. Lam doesn’t want to commit suicide and die alone politically instead, he wants to hijack and take with him the lives of the people he misled (blind supporters of his party and some political leaders) as well as the whole nation.

In conclusions, while it is true that any citizen has the right to criticize his or her government’s performances the GoSS in the actual case, it is equally worth mentioning that Dr. Lam’s declaration of “suicide” is critical and poisoning. To limit its impacts, southerners as well as the GoSS need to unite against this foe of the nation. In addition, during the elections, Lam and his party should be voted out before it is too late. Moreover, the SPLM supporters should organize nationwide and worldwide protest against Lam’s declaration of suicide. Finally, i urge our lost fellow citizens and party’s leaders who have endorsed and supported Lam and his party to walk out from him because the plane they have boarded is intended to crash “suicide”.

The author, is a former diplomat (Minister Plenipotentiary), holder of MSc in International Management and author of Southern Sudan and Its Fight for Freedom. He is currently writing a book called “Nation in Pearl”. He can be reached via: [email protected]