SPLM-North warns against attempting to omit diversity from Sudan constitution
December 22, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – The Northern sector of Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) warned on Wednesday the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) against any move aimed at removing the clauses in the constitution that recognizes the cultural and ethnic diversity of the country.
“No one can cancel diversity in Sudan,” Al-Hilu said.
Last Sunday, the Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir declared that the North will change the constitution after the South’s secession reinforce Islamic Sharia’a law and make Arabic the official language.
The current constitution recognizes the “multi-ethnic,” “multi-cultural” and “multi-faith” status of the Sudanese state, and is based on both Shari’a, or Islamic law, and the “consensus” of the population.
“But the opaque talk [about] the Sudanese people I don’t know what…is multi-racial and multi-religious, the [Islamic] Shari’a will be the main source for lawmaking….and Arabic language will the official language of the state as will be stipulated in the upcoming constitution,” Bashir added.
In 16 days, the people of South Sudan will head to the polling station to decide whether they want to remain united with the North or establish their own state. The latter option is believed to be the likely vote by most Southerners.
The governor of the Blue Nile state and SPLM deputy chairman Malik Agar said at the same press conference, which was also joined by the head of the SPLM Northern sector Yasir Arman, that “diversity will be the basis of the new state in the North [after the South separates]”.
In 2011, residents of Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan states will hold a popular consultation forum to get more autonomy on issues related to the local identity, culture and control of the land but they will nonetheless remain part of northern Sudan.
Agar and Al-Hilu stressed that they will not allow the NCP to take away the “gains” acquired through the protocols related to the popular consultation law.
They also threatened to call for self-determination in the two regions should the NCP not honor the agreement.
The former southern rebel group, is the ruling party in south Sudan and is overall the country’s second-largest party. It has supporters in the north, particularly in the border regions of Blue Nile and the Nuba Mountains area of Southern Kordofan.
Arman said that should the South secedes, the SPLM’s Northern sector would become an independent organization.
“It is going to be a political force to be reckoned with … The north is a very diverse place. It is a place that needs democratic transformation. It is a place that needs different policies from Khartoum to the different regions of Sudan.”
He also echoed sentiments of Al-Hilu and Agar on the issue of diversity.
“If we travel this road, which we have traveled before … it will incite hatred …It is not about religion it is about dictatorship,” said Arman, a northerner who was the SPLM’s challenger to Bashir in April presidential elections before boycotting the race citing fraud.
“There will only be stability and development if there is recognition of diversity and social justice and democracy.”
Arman said the party would initially keep the SPLM name but remain independent from the party in the south.
“It will be like the relations between the green parties in Norway and in Britain. They are in different countries but they share the same vision
The Blue Nile governor called on Darfur rebels fighting in a separate conflict in Western Sudan to join the new SPLM party in the North.
“If they wish to be part of this, they will have to … renounce their arms. We are for a political means, for a political mechanism.”
LAST CHANCE FOR UNITY
Arman also said that while fading there is hope for unity if the North agrees to undertake radical changes to its policies.
He proposed “a rotating presidency [between the North and South], fair split of oil, keeping two armies [in North and South]”.
“This offer helps raise the ceiling of unity and may form the seed to revive unity again and this is what we are working on even if the South separates” Arman said.
But a senior NCP official rejected the offer made by the SPLM.
“He also said that, if the north wants unity, the SPLM and the NCP should work together not to adopt the Islamic laws. This is an offer which is not considered to come from the SPLM’s leader because we only have one channel. Either such offer should come from Salva Kiir Mayardit, who is the chairman or through the presidential institution” Rabie Abdel-Aati who heads the NCP information bureau told Voice of America (VOA).
This month the Sudanese president said that the North will let the South take the entire revenue from the country’s oil wealth in return for a unity vote in the referendum.
However, the SPLM brushed aside the offer saying it is not enough to warrant a change in separatist mood.
(ST)
Anyang
SPLM-North warns against attempting to omit diversity from Sudan constitution
You’ve to fight to the death,no mercy, no let’s up untill you are recognizes.
Aleu
SPLM-North warns against attempting to omit diversity from Sudan constitution
I think the problem here of these Two States was, because people were a touching themselves very wrongful to North Sudan but in real sense they are not actually belong to North Sudan region. Southern Kordofan State and South Blue Nile State are not parts of Northern Sudan. The reason why both States were a touching themselves to the North Sudan simply because the North Sudanese were dominating the whole Sudan nation which have now result to about 2.5 million human beings have losts their lives during two decades of the SPLA/SPLM Civil war with Sudan government.
Malik Aggar Eyre and others Nubian figures have to thinks twice not merely because of the message from indictment Omar al Bashir but also the lesson of Darfurian people being murdering by Khartoum government even if they don’t pass that Islamic State of Shariah law, still the North Sudan’s government would probably continues get ride as usual and I am sure they will do it on others none Arab ethnic in Northern Sudan later on. Nubian people and Blue Nile people as well as the Darfuian people please my brothers and sisters mark my word and you will see it if you guys decides poorly to join Noth Sudan government.
kaci-banno
SPLM-North warns against attempting to omit diversity from Sudan constitution
People of southern blue Nile and southern Kordofan have to understand that the choice is left with them. Separation of southern Sudan can not make them disappointed because CPA is the only key for all solutions. They have to use that opportunity wisely to decide for their destiny. SPLM or people of southern Sudan will never forget about the struggle we struggle together to transform Sudan in to democratic country but we found that is not working, is better for us to separate. The people of Southern Blue Nile and Kordofan have to think twice about Bashir proposal over economic situations after South secession, Bashir said agriculture will be the source of economic power in Northern part when south separate and the question is which states in Northern part contain fertilizer land for agriculture? It is Blue Nile and Kordofan. Which means Bashir is going to stick on this two states to sustain the economic situations in the north.
By Kaci-Ma-banno
Deng E. Manyuon
SPLM-North warns against attempting to omit diversity from Sudan constitution
Malik Agar, Yasir Arman and Abdul-Aziz Adam your hoesty during the struggle will be remebered by the people of Southern Sudan. You have been true nationalists. You are full of sense of belonging and nationalism.
Diversity should be respected. It is the God will to create everyone different from another. It is even, if I am not mistaken, mention in the Holy Quran el Karim-the book of Islam that “we have created you as diversed nations and tribes such as to know each other”!! I wonder from where did Bashir and Saban John who pretends to be a Southerner get this idea of having one ethnicity and one religion?
Deng