Lam Akol set to meet his Waterloo

“A rolling stone gathers no moss”, an old proverb, credited to Publius Syrus.

By Majok Nikodemo Arou

March 14, 2010 — As the Sudanese elections draw nearer, Dr Lam Akol Ajawin, Chairman of the SPLM-DC, croaks louder in his futile desperate attempt to blindfold the masses to garner their votes, using his burnt up and obsolete political credentials.

What on earth does the controversial politician and confused chemical engineer with an unenviable legacy of eight defections have at play? Endowed with political uncertainty and mastery of lies, Dr Ajawin has been shuttling in some regional capitals delivering lectures that only appeal to audience’s political affiliations.

In one of his recent lectures, Dr Ajawin blamed the repercussions of the Closed District Ordinance imposed by the Condominium Rule in Sudan in 1920s on the British, insinuating that the British were solely responsible about the subsequent political crisis in the country. Our Dr simply bought the shoddy goods of Khartoum regimes which have been claiming so. Lo and behold, the same Dr Ajawin wrote an article in an Arabic Language daily in favour of the Closed District Ordinance law in 2002, reiterating that it was issued to protect the Southern Sudanese from the slavery. What has gone missing in between?! Of course, there is a loose link and readers will be kept guessing.

Worst still, the leader of phony party blamed the Southern Sudanese for the problems of Sudan since 1947- to date. Exactly it was the same conclusion made by the late Lino Rol in 1995. Even the NIF leaders and its offshoot, the NCP have not yet reached such a blatant diabolic hallow conclusion. They handpicked Southern Sudanese figures to say it so that they build on it later. Could son of Akol Ajawin relate to the Southerners in his current election rallies the hypothesis of his claim?

Some politicians could twist current issues to paint scenarios of their whispering campaigns, but not history. English novelist L.P. Hartley was right when he said: “The Past is a foreign Country: they do things differently there.” So no other ways to divert the history as the facts hold Dr Ajawin.

Anyone who followed Dr Ajawin’s interview aired and telecast by the Blue Nile satellite TV, would not miss the man may be under certain spell. He is trying to interpret and tailor the history of struggle at behest of his new masters. It is a legacy in which he has grain of contribution despite the murky path he has embraced. To him all those involved in 1983- 2005, were all wrong, murderers and brutal.

Of course no one would say the history of struggle in South Sudan from 1947- 2005 was rosy. Anyone who has read about the history of guerrilla warfare worldwide would definitely come to the same conclusion. But an attempt to reread it in that awful manner as demonstrated by Dr Ajawin could open old wounds and add an insult to injury. Our politicians should work harder so that the South and Sudan at large to overcome the war traumas through promotion of grass-root reconciliations instead of rekindling them.

Is it not outrageous to exercise the blame game in that nasty manner? Dr Ajawin told his interviewer that his position in the hierarchy of the SPLM after he rejoined in 2003 didn’t fit his status. He swallowed the suggestion of the interviewer that the late Chairman Dr John Garang assessed him that way because he didn’t forget the aftermath of 1991 split. An insinuation admitted by Dr Ajawin. Yet he referred to his appointment as a political supervisor of Western Bahr El Ghazal State. Dr Ajawin also said the late Chairman also built up the current GoSS Chairman Lt. Salva Kiir. It’s to be noted that Kiir and Garang met in Anya Nya 1 in 1969. They were also absorbed in the Sudanese Army in 1972, following the Addis Ababa Accord. One thought Dr Ajawin would refer to their relations (Garang + Kiir) as comrades in arms and among the founders of the SPLM.

Dr Ajawin also talked about the Yei Crisis in 2004 between Garang and Kiir. He said he supported Kiir against Garang, but Kiir let them down in Rumbek when he accepted to reconcile with Garang. It seems Dr Ajawin does not know up to date why that reconciliation was important. It was extremely required for unity of our people ahead of signing of the CPA. May be has ulterior motives. Apart from Dr Ajawin’s view, the SPLM supporters across the country were happy and relaxed, because it yielded another momentum to the cause. One wonders whether the man shares the same cause with our masses. Until now he is wavering about the exercise of referendum. He is against it when away from the South, but for it in Malakal and other areas.

To continue with his distortion of the facts, Dr Ajawin alleged that Dr Riek Machar, then the Assistant President, Chairman of the Southern Sudan Coordination Council and Chairman of the South Sudan Independence Movement (SSIM) has ordered them in the late 1990s to join the NIF’s offshoot the National Congress (NC). Why should Dr Machar order the leader of the SPLA-United, who signed his own Fashoda Peace Agreement to join the NC? It is doubtful, because Dr Machar was not on good terms with the NIF- a move that culminated in his defection later.

Just because he felt out with the SPLM SG Pagan Amum Okech over general politics, Dr Ajawin lost his nerves and took the political differences to another dimension by incriminating Amum. Imagine he called him a murderer. It’s unfortunate for sexagenarian to pile up accusations he could not defend. One is afraid Dr Ajawin is opening Pandora box that would not spare him with his new masters.

The consistency of Pagan throughout the struggle has earned him credibility and respect across the country. So it is farce to refer to Pagan as someone with psychological complexes. If at all there is someone to consult a psychiatrist, he must be Dr Ajawin. Another Macbeth is on the offing!!

Bold interviewer of the Blue Nile TV was too blunt and even tackled some issues, which one thought Dr Ajawin would brush them aside. The case in point is the appointment of his wife Rebecca Joshua, as Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labour. He dubbed the appointment as political and stated that the family is opposed to the appointment. Is that a media issue?

On the forthcoming elections, Dr Akol alleged that Yasser Saeed Arman is contending for Sudan Presidency at the expense of Southern Sudanese. If so, why he did not contend for the post and why he supports the Northern Sudan candidate incumbent President Omer Hassan Ahmed El Bashir?

The elections in South Sudan, Dr Ajawin, are not held for the accountability in case of GoSS, but only to implement the CPA. The people of South Sudan have deferred the accountability as their eyes are set on the referendum to decide future: either remain united with the North or separate. In a nutshell, they are expected to give full mandate to the trio: Kiir, Dr Machar and Wani Igga to complete the task.

The author is a Sudanese journalist and can be reached at [email protected]