The row over South Sudan’s Referendum

By Roba Gibia

December 18, 2010 – Any observer into the current political situation in Sudan, and especially the squabble between SPLM and NCP over South Sudan’s referendum, will undoubtedly conclude that NCP has got no credible vision towards the country but rather wanted to engage the country into persistent conflicts and chaos to remain in power. And that is evident by blockading Abyei’s referendum unless with participation of Misseriya Arab tribes, which is a ridiculous precondition that has got no ground, because the fate of South Sudanese African people will not be decided by the so called Arabs in north. National Congress Party (NCP) is now behaving like a mad dog who knows that it is going to die but doesn’t want to die alone! This is obvious in current situation of NCP’s behavior, where it consistently wants to jeopardize South Sudan’s referendum by pointless claims and arguments. And this behavior in my view shows that NCP has lost its own political and diplomatic equilibrium, and rather it has become like a chicken without head.

Khartoum has been slaughtering and burning alive people of South Sudan for the past over fifty years in absolute silence and has been humiliating and calling people of South Sudan slaves but not brothers/sisters! Genocide, ethnic cleanse, land torch policy and all the crimes against humanity has been committed against south by so called Arabs in north. And for the past six years since signing peace agreement in 2005, NCP never thinks critically to change its behavior and at least to bridge the gap of mistrust, lack of confidence and detestation between south and north, but rather it continued with its policy of injustice, discrimination and above all imposition of its ideology and culture on non-Arabs especially in Khartoum. Thus, today without shame and conscience it is accusing SPLM for preaching separation, forcing and intimidating Southerners to vote for separation, barring pro-unity Southerners from campaigning for unity in south! Here one has to be credible and spell out the truth, as it is NCP which doesn’t allow pro-separatists to campaign in north, and that was evident when south Sudanese students were detained while they were demonstrating for the separation of south. In the entire northern Sudan region, no separation campaign is allowed but rather NCP is buying and forcing Southerners in north to appear and talk to the media in favor of unity, then why faulting SPLM? The entire northern region and NCP leaderships’ hands are contaminated with South Sudanese blood, and there is no single Southerner, who has lost his/her fellow south Sudanese brothers/sisters more than three million at the hands of the so called Arabs in north, still will advocate unity with north unless traitors who has become puppets at the hands of Khartoum.

The hypocrisy, avarice and imperialistic mentality have blinded NCP from acknowledging its inner reality and even from seeing its monstrous image in mirror. But SPLM and Southerners are not blinded from seeing their inner reality, and do proudly acknowledge their own identity and will never deny their black African birthright, and never tried to impose their Africanism on non-African tribes. At this context, I would like to make it crystal clear to the so called Arabs in north that the era of deceiving and twisting Southerners hands is over and not at this twenty-first century. Thus, NCP’s accusation that SPLM has fallen under the influence of Zionist and those who support separation are traitors executing plans of colonist powers, will not hinder South Sudan’s struggle for freedom. And this in my view is Khartoum’s cheap propaganda to continue colonizing and marauding south Sudan’s resources.

On the other hand and as regards the row over South Sudan’s referendum, NCP has completely failed to groom itself and has been overcome by profound grief, not for missing people of south but for loss over control of south’s resources. And that can be deduced from NCP’s accusation that SPLM is in different valley and Southern Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC) is in another valley, and that SPLM never respects referendum law and even interim constitution of Sudan but ever since SPLM is behaving like an independent country! But does NCP respect peace agreement and interim constitution of Sudan! While in reality, it is NCP and Northerners whom ever since has practically detached south from north, and they have to fault themselves but not SPLM or Southerners. Besides that South Sudanese are black Africans, physically, culturally and racially they look different and cannot be termed or classified as Arabs because they have nothing common to be shared with the so called Arabs in north. And God is not mistaken to make that natural demarcation since creation of the world and mankind between south and north. Believe me Southerners are not brothers/sisters to Arab north, because black African Southerners are the indigenous inhabitants of Sudan before Arab entrance into Sudan. The south Sudanese people has been fighting for separation since Torit revolt in 1955, Anya-nya I and II movements. And when SPLM/SPLA started in 1983, it is fighting for the unity of Sudan under new dimensions. Therefore, separation of south from north is not SPLM’s directions but the conviction of South Sudanese people, and this is what northerners and NCP has to understand.

In conclusion, the current motion filed against Southern Sudan Referendum Commission and SPLM by National Congress Party, some south Sudanese dummies and a malicious Egyptian lawmaker to the Sudan’s constitutional court, that the commission has violated interim constitution, 2005 peace agreement and that another commission should be formed to adhere to the referendum act of 2009, is ludicrous and its main objective is to jeopardize and delay referendum. Where is this group who claimed to represent ordinary citizens, when Sudan’s fifth census and general elections were not conducted as stipulated in the interim constitution and peace agreement? Did they file a motion against census, election commission and NCP? Were they in profound sleep, and just awaken to observe alleged referendum time-limits and violations? Where was this group when NCP deliberately delayed formation of referendum commission at the end of first three years from the interim period? And where were they when SPLM MPs in national assembly in Khartoum by courting, staging peaceful demonstrations and pressurizing on Sudan’s National Assembly to adopt referendum act in 2009? Let us try to judge things fairly but not with bias and emotions, and why normally the so called Arabs usually turn blind eyes and deaf ears to NCP’s statements and blatant violations? Recently when Khartoum carried out its provocative act against SPLM by bombarding and attacking areas in Western Bahr el-Ghazal, no one talked about it but had it to be SPLM act against north it will be considered as violation of peace agreement! Believe me despite all this malicious and evil plans to derail and jeopardize South Sudan’s referendum, yet it will fail and South Sudan will liberate itself from the Arab oppression, domination and imperialism. Tomorrow South Sudan will emerge as a free country and there will be no more oppression, humiliation and imposition of Islamic culture and Sharia law but preservation of its unique African identity, culture and heritage.

The author is a Sudan Tribune columnist; he can be reached at [email protected]