Referendum: what we need is a change of attitude
By Usman Foda
July 22, 2010 — Most concerned citizens have been thinking about January 2011 and the fate of the Sudan thereafter as a nation state. Some optimists await the date with enthusiasm, while others with alarm and pessimism about the future of Sudan.
Discussing national issues objectively and frankly is certainly away forward towards effecting the desired changes Sudanese people crave, however, the most worrisome growing trend in the Southern Sudan is a group of Southern youths who are busy campaigning for separation. I believe this group lacks the credentials and capacities to make a good judgment not to talk of a judgment with sagacity. The implication of the outcome of this referendum has global, continental, regional and internal impacts and consequences depending on the various crisscrossing interests at different levels, it is however both necessary and sufficient to say: This valuable and critical time in the history of Sudan should be dedicated to constructive and reconciliatory statements and actions. Not singing divisive songs and depicting them with liberating nature, this will in fact amount to the highest degree of intimidation to the unsuspecting Southern masses.
What is expected of this group is raising the consciousness of their fellow youths about the challenges of nation building and how to steer a strong, united and virile nation free from corruption, tribalism, nepotism, insincerity and disunity. What is expected of the so called youths (serving as a proxy of SPLM seperationists wing) is to work hard in paving the way for a serious change of attitude towards one another in the length and breadth of the one million mile square, you are entrusted to guard for future generations. Trading and orchestrating fear and hatred is a historical responsibility and you will surely never be allowed to gloat yourselves as victors but on the contrarily condemned to the dustbin of history as vanquished.
For the other Southern Youths being intimidated by this vocal minority, to be silent would amount to the greatest disservice to this nation. Wake up from your slumber and show the popular will and resolve to have good governance and sustainable democratic culture. Tell these separationists that you didn’t struggle gallantly to get one third of your beloved huge country’s land or be a part of one quarter of its endowed population, your dreams are far beyond that!!! Tell them that youths from both side of the divide must resolve for the positive changes to the betterment of a greater Sudan and what they need is a hand-up to stand tall even as some professional provocateurs, provoking sentiments and try to perpetually keep them down in poverty and deprivation by giving them peanut hand-outs to demonstrate for separation. Tell them that in spite of the seemingly insurmountable difficulties, you will remain undaunted. Tell them that the devils in them are drumming for them to sleep on the highway!!! You will not allow that because their lives are valuable to the nation as a human capital. Show them that events such as their monthly negative campaigns are less important than your response to them. Tell them that you will encounter their lonely voice by creating a favorable environment that will increase the chances of unity. Tell them you will adopt a Mandela spirit to prepare your mind. Tell them that this new mind and resolution will help you to understand the flaws, historical mistakes and the inherent problems of the system which led to the devastating war, the lost opportunities of economic development and prosperity. Tell them that with positive mind you will bury all the stereotypes that brought us where we are!!! Tell them with all things which wisdom and determination provide to make us strong, united and prosperous nation, much the greatest is the possession of the will and power to forget the dark past and rise above the bitterness of yester years, while aspiring for a new dawn of a strong, united and promising Sudan.
As an advocate of peace, justice and unity, I do believe that the road map to unity is a system that hinged on due process, fairness, justice and most importantly a constitution that reflects a power sharing formula which recognizes the plural character of our society. If the last election in the Southern Sudan is anything to go by, a referendum that will be creditable and acceptable is truly difficult but not impossible. We are only an attitude away from achieving this laudable objective of a united Sudan, comes January 2011.
The author is based in Abuja. He is reachable at [email protected]
Bol Bol
Referendum: what we need is a change of attitude
Usman,
You got your facts backward. The youth you discredited in this article were the most oppressed people beside women during the war. Most of these youth parents were killed by the Islamic government of Khartoum during the war that last 22 years. What you wrote here is a piece of junk and does not qualify to be put into consideration as an important article. Please come back after you got your facts together.
Jayo
Southerners have seen what 56 years of unity brought them
I have never been impolite to someone in my writings but this Usman Foda guy looks like he has been living under the ocean for the last 56 years of Sudan independence or else he thinks Southerners are utterly stupid.To suggest that some silent majority of Southerners are craving to remain under the current islamic Sudan is an insult.
Instead of attacking the so-called Southern separatists who are working to divide the country,Mr Usman should first ask himself why a Southern youth feel she is not accomodated in the united Sudan in its current form?the NCP form.Is it not in deliberate attempt to disintegrate the country that the NCP continue to treat Sudan as monolithic islamic state despite its true rich religious diversity?Mr Usman,the united Arabo-Islamic Sudan, that you see as posperous because all your interests are protected in it,is seen as an oppressive and discriminatory state by a down trodden Southerner.
Why the oppressive Sharia laws?What does it imply when the government find it necessary to implement strict Sharia law in Khartoum which is suppose to be the eternal capital of all Sudanese in their diversity?This discriminate act constantly shows South Sudanese that they don’t belong there.The flogging of Southern women by the police for wearing so-called indecent dress.Why won’t my sister wear what she likes in her own country?In addition to that, why does the government detain people(Southerners) for drinking locally made traditional Beer?
Southerners have told their Northern counterparts since independent that they do not want Islam to be imposed on them. They want a secular Sudan, not Islamic, not Christian. They want a Sudan where they dress like they want and drink whatever they want. They want a Sudan where Arabic and English are both official languages.
But the National Congress Party feel that not having a fundamentally Islamic Sudan is a red line to them. Bashir always brags that he and the NCP have made a promise to the mujahidiins who died in the war(in South Sudan) that they will never abandon the Islamic status of the Sudan. To South Sudanese ,imposing Islam on us is also a red line. It therefore seems to be true that NCP would find it easy to see a divieded Sudan than to accommodate the aspiration of all Sudanese.
As the old adage goes ‘one man’s poison is an other man’s meat’,it is understandable that an Islamist northerner like Usman would love to see the oppressive status quo continued.A subjugated Southerner wants it ended.
So Mr Usman Foda,since it is the sole right of Southerners to choose between separation and unity, an Islamist Northerner like you should not call people names.Instead,just shut up and wait for the results on January 9 2011.
Dinka Boy
Referendum: what we need is a change of attitude
Usman Foda,
Unity with North has been destructive for many years, what do you mean by your recocilaition and construction encourage by your unity. My friend,the problem of Sudan is far away from your sentiment. Thanks
DASODIKO
Referendum: what we need is a change of attitude
Please do not waste your time answering this Folani guy! He is always trying to play good boy for his Folani brothers in North Sudan, Usman Foda is from the same family where Bashir’s Father descended in Nigeria. Nigerians who religously hallocinated are trying to keep the status-cop in Sudan, because they have 10 million Nigerians living in North Sudan including those in power and they are fearing their future. Look at Nigerian forces in Darfur, the most defeats for the rebels in Darfur happened because Nigerian forces in cooperation with Egyptians were giving SAF information about Darfur rebel, these are all facts and documented .It was Nigerain Agawi who said that there is nothing call killing in Darfur, But people arer just assembled to be fed a nice food from Europe. Meanwhile he forgot that his salary was from that nice job. He said this after he filled his mouth from South Sudan oil money. Please Usumani or whatever you are called Nigeria have more problems than us here please resolve them and then when we call you the insert your ass!!!!!!!! yes you may like expressing yourself on media please write about your home problems
Achuil Manyuat Tong
Referendum: what we need is a change of attitude
Dear writter.
Thank you for insight analysis of what you think we should be doing during this pre-referndum period.
It is and has alway been my habit to believe that every one has a point of view on what someone is doing or has done.However the very person doing the job alway had the final answer as to why it went so.Although you criticise youth for separation so much for thier strong stand,it is very unfortunate that you failed to realise they are not doing it outside the field of operation .they are the very people who suffered and went through all sort of challenges until the CPA got them where the are.
Therefore ,it isn’t neccessary to condemn them when the have raised thier voices and let the world kknow what the think .
I become very confuse having gone through your statement to see you concluding with contradicting words which talk about justice and overall understanding among the youth of today.
In this case i have to say it would have been better to see for yourself if at all you were with in the country what they current sudanese youth have embark on to promote national unity .They simply did non but continue to see southerners as people who can not succeed in anything .Social peace has not been realise until today while you continue to push for understanding which shall be base on something you can best explain.
Although ,you beleive southerners should not talk about separation ,you ahve to notice in the first place southerners have never been separatist in the past . It was something the have always been told to do blindly by Arab led government in the north for above fifty years yet they struggle for change in the national system not to favoure thier side but to reflect is the present Sudan and It people this idea has alway been rejected until the ended with CPA which gave them the right to self determination as a result many other marganalised areas in Sudan are demanding for the to self determination for their people something which has now brought standoff between governmnent peeace efforts in Darfur region.If at all there are very patient people on this earth surely Southern Sudanese must be there .
Amazing though is the fact that the very unionist you talk about have never had an idea on how and what to unit Sudan through out thier rules to date.
They who you might have got better understanding of what you view should have been done here in our country are totally at mask with thier administration.
to sum it up ,They door is open for any one to capaign for what he think is better for referendum provided that you come from southern Sudan therefore seeing southern youth for separation should not make you unhappy since your favoured side have got nothing to talk about on the ground.
Finally .what shall become of southern Sudan is the responsibility of Southern Sudanese youth .
Thanks .
Paul Ongee
Referendum: what we need is a change of attitude
Ya Usman/Osman Foda,
Take your stupid instructions to the youth of the Islamic Republic of North Sudan who failed to take to Khartoum streets since 1956 to convince the Islamic successive regimes to formulate a constructive policy that should have kept this country united. The Islamic regimes already failed to appreciate cultural diversity and instead shamelessly introduced “Islamic Sharia law” that brought us to where we’re now today. Your junk opinion would never create a reverse gear of separation or disintegration of Sudan.
Why would some citizens of the same country be subjected to religious, cultural, social, political and economic humiliation ya Usman/Osman? Human dignity is more important than praying facing east/west which didn’t even help the people of Darfur, Southern Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains. Got it?
It’s even too late now to separate religion from the state. No any current Northern opposition party that has never been in power and mismanaged the country. Perhaps Ibrahim Aboud whose hidden Islamic projects were not yet known. They instead compete about technical interpretation of Islamic version to govern Sudan. They sow the seed of disintegration and now they don’t want to harvest the outcome.
With the kind of continued Islamic revelation, no any Northern political party would manage Sudan differently. Remember before you land your fingers on the key board that Sudan is not yet ready for attractive unity that you’re trumpeting. NCP is in power and can still be blamed by marginalized or Darfurians because it has been following the same footsteps of its predecessors. Opposition parties in the North Sudan can ONLY do thing differently when they are not in power. Since 1956, military coup is the order of the day to guide elected or unelected governments. Period.
Paul Ongee
Referendum: what we need is a change of attitude
Ya Usman/Osman Foda,
Take your stupid instructions to the youth of the Islamic Republic of North Sudan who failed to take to Khartoum streets since 1956 to convince the Islamic successive regimes to formulate a constructive policy that should have kept this country united. The Islamic regimes already failed to appreciate cultural diversity and instead shamelessly introduced “Islamic Sharia law” that brought us to where we’re now today. Your junk opinion would never create a reverse gear of separation or disintegration of Sudan.
Why would some citizens of the same country be subjected to religious, cultural, social, political and economic humiliation ya Usman/Osman? Human dignity is more important than praying facing east/west which didn’t even help the people of Darfur, Southern Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains. Got it?
It’s even too late now to separate religion from the state. No any current Northern opposition party that has never been in power and mismanaged the country. Perhaps Ibrahim Aboud whose hidden Islamic projects were not yet known. They instead compete about technical interpretation of Islamic version to govern Sudan. They sow the seed of disintegration and now they don’t want to harvest the outcome.
With the kind of continued Islamic revelation, no any Northern political party would manage Sudan differently. Remember before you land your fingers on the key board that Sudan is not yet ready for attractive unity that you’re trumpeting. NCP is in power and can still be blamed by marginalized or Darfurians because it has been following the same footsteps of its predecessors. Opposition parties in the North Sudan can ONLY do thing differently when they are not in power. Since 1956, military coup is the order of the day to guide elected or unelected governments. Period.