South Sudan is never too young

By Atok Dan Baguoot

May 27, 2010 — “For behind all imperialism is ultimately the imperialistic individual, just as behind all peace is ultimately the peaceful individual”

From the socio-economical, cultural, historical and geopolitical aspects, the land defined as Southern Sudan has always been on the forefront in confronting the Khartoum based regimes dated back to the earlier days of colonial periods in quest for self government. As a matter of fact, the black Africans that inhabit this land felt bitter with their northern brothers for having inherited colonial shoes and assumed none existing superiority over them for duration quite longer than contemporary history.

Southern politicians delved efforts on several accounts to forge a perfect union with the north but contrary, there had no appreciation of from the other side. Thus generations of wars and sufferings were subsequent aftermath of political dishonesty from northerners whose psyches have deceived as superior race yet not knowing that their cultural dishonest might cost them none other than disintegration of a beautiful ill acquired or newfound lands after their forefathers deserted Arabian Peninsula for adventure.

In fact, Arabs in the Sudan were not original plot owners in the country but products of recent migration and up to now some are still migrating to Sudan. Issue of nationality hence became a concern. Today if you are to qualify for issuance of a Sudanese national ID, you have to come with either two witnesses or one because the concept was to differentiate the newcomers amongst the Arabs from the one that came before. They old immigrants on this stood as witnesses to the new ones but it wasn’t late that Arabs twisted it as something apply on all nationalities in the Sudan and that was after the country obtained that half independence from Britain on the eve of 1956.

In the minds of those sensible Southerners, the 1947 Juba two-day conference between the north and the south revealed what exactly took place to pronounce this fake, vague and a coax unity now full of remorse and regrets. Sudan is now at the verge of disintegration which some analysts called separation of the South from greater union. It not a question of a separation alone but it contains elements of disintegration as Southern Sudan is the holding key if not unifying factor in the Sudan.

Back to the topic, south has a defined geographical entity, sound economic resources to make it not a burden to International community, besides distinctive cultures and political instruments to spearhead it agenda for a separate stable state like any other unstable states on the map of the earth. It stability and instability would either be determined by how it manages its affairs but not on fallacies of affiliation with the north.

South was/is more unstable with north than being on its own. It doesn’t need Arabs to stabilize DRC and Somalia but their constitutional stability would entirely depend on how patriotic they are to part with petty issues and adapt a new nationalist stand as a nation on its toes.

After 17 years of Anya-Nya 1 war, north would have devised peaceful means to defuse chaos in the South if they had political will of maintaining the fragile unity of the country on that very first sign but because anarchy in the South was used to sharpen the minds of their political idiots, they gave it a go well party. In order to engage themselves as Arabs, South is an agenda or a learning school for any politician to test his mental soundness and absurdity. Hence best politicians were those whose political might could maim economic and political prosperity of the South. Seeing thousands children and women suffering in the south was a source of credit.

Having gone through tough tests in wars of all sorts, the South stood at a safer side compared to north despite the fact that recent elections disgraced our political expectations after some southerners behaved in a way that depicted them as more southerners or carrying the agenda of the South more than the rest. In spite of all these odds, South Sudan has what it takes for an independent state even if it means sun delays from rising or setting.

Taking into account our long nasty relationship with the north, South Sudan is far beyond a safer nation compared to north which was erected on false pillars of lies, deceits, jingoism and chauvinism based false Islamic creed which even contradict prophetic prophecies. Sudan is neither Islamic state nor any religious state as portrayed in most states run by theocratic ideologies.

Religious extremism in Sudan is just a mere cover up to fool innocent masses by a certain group with selfish motives. In Sudan, taking mere water requires mentioning God’s name to signify adherence to Allah. South Sudan is a reverse of this. Religion is more personal, while other pillars which hold up a sovereign state are more vibrant in the South than in the north.

The only stumbling block in the South would either be how political class tends to do things especially when it comes to weighing wishes of masses. In the recent elections, expectations of the people were shortchanged according to the conduct portrayed by the South ruling party the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement SPLM. This was the birth of independent candidature of some prominent leaders within the rank of the Movement which earned huge support among people in various states in the state.

This even is an eye opener to most Southern Sudanese whose psyches questioned political flexibility of the SPLM or to those who doubt political heterogeneity of the party, the event exposed internal weaknesses of the party in handling national affairs without proper opposition to exert checks and balances in SPLM owned government.

This is where somebody can tell you that we had already known what SPLM is all about. Above all, Southerners wish for an independent state regardless of what sort of political force leading them to the Promised Land.

Having witnessed both swearing of president Omer Al Bashir in a fashionable Islamic style and that of Southern Sudan president Salva Kiir Mayardit also in another passionate fashion, unity of Sudan remains questionable and something not to be talked of publicly. President Bashir was more of Islamic leader despite Sudan’s political and cultural diversity.

Finally, forty days have elapsed for the Islamic republic of the Sudan and government of the Southern Sudan but different names would be used this time round.

Because of all these, Sudan deserves total disintegration rather than mere separation of the South leaving rest of the country under that decayed system of NCP in the north. In order to have everlasting peace and refrain from imperialistic thinking, Sudan has to break up into peaceful pieces so that those generations born in wars have to rest before their final eternal rest in their respective graves which is deemed as most peaceful resting avenue for human souls.

Atok Dan is a journalist working for Southern Sudan Radio & TV and he is reachable at [email protected].