Stocktaking the path of the 59th anniversary of Sudan’s independence
By Mahmoud A. Suleiman
January 24, 2014 – The primary purpose of this article, besides highlighting on the Sudanese Independence Day, is the following up the events that accompanied the years after 1953 in the course of history and up to present day Sudan. It is also rational for People expecting that this article comes concurrent with the beginning of the month of January 2015 and coincide with the annual occasion of the Sudanese Independence. Nevertheless, I thought the issue needed an approach from several perspectives and different aspects by some departure from the tradition that only contents with congratulating the people of Sudan on the Independence Festival. This is more so especially in light of the difficult living conditions and the circumstances of war, which plagued the people of our homeland at the hands of the regime who is nearing more than a century on the helm of power ruling with iron fist. Every celebration ends with something sweet and people remember but there does not seem much to celebrate for in the 59th Sudan’s independence of the year 2015, however. If the Sudanese independence enabled the Sudanese people achieving their aspirations we would have continued celebrating the whole month of January. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. Nevertheless, as something is better than nothing is. I thought it worthwhile to let this article commemorate the occasion before the days of the month pass bye unheeded.
The anniversary of the Sudanese Independence is a Great prideful Public event and a gala occasion, which an individual prides self on. We wish a happy new year, 2015, to bring prosperity, more stability, development, security in all parts of Sudan, and heartfelt wishes that real sustainable peace prevail in Sudan.
The month of January has special taste to the people of Sudan for several reasons. January marks the holiday Sudan’s independence from colonialism. Moreover, we find that most of the Birthday of the generations born before independence or those born in Sudan’s rural villages devoid of public services chronicling the beginning of this month as birthday and besides the beginning of the Gregorian calendar. Therefore, I thought it worthwhile to jot my pen to reflect on the Anniversary of the Independence of Sudan before this awesome Month of January departs. Thus, I give the title of my article as Stocktaking on the Path of the 59th Anniversary of the Independence of Sudan.
Anniversary is defined linguistically as a day commemorating or celebrating a past event that occurred on the same date of the year as the event. Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Or it is the day on which an important event happened in a previous year. Source is Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.
The autonomy and self-determination agreement accomplished by the Condominium Governments, Egypt and Britain in 1953, paved the way to lead to the Independence of Susan in January 1956. It was a pivotal period, during which many important successive events took place on the issue of Self-determination and Independence. Nevertheless,, the successive regimes have failed to maintain the National Treasure that the People of Sudan achieved in an advanced time. Some historians and political analysts consider Susan’s Independence in 1956 as the ‘Second Independence’ for Sudan when its New flag was raised and the flags of the Condominium were downed. The Phrase ‘Second Independence’ is in reference to the fact that Sudan was colonised twice by the same colonial forces, Egypt and Britain. It is noteworthy that the Agreements of the Autonomy and Self-Determination was sealed on twelfth February 1953. On the other hand, the Article 12 of the Convention ensured for Sudan the Choice, through the vote at the Constituent Assembly between the ‘Link with Egypt under the throne of the Egyptian King and Full Independence.
January symbolizes is associated with myth and old legend that has to do with ancient themes of both Hibernation as well as Emergence from deep withdrawal. Symbolism of January comes from the Roman mythology, Janus, Roman pagan god of doors – doorways, arches, openings, closings and the like! Thus, January is replete with paradoxes. Reference is: WWW.whats- your-sign.com/January
It is fair to say that the new generations of Sudanese may be bearing errors they inherited from political establishment elites that came to power after independence, but that does not excuse them for the failure, which lasted for decades some of them have lived through those errors up to today’s date.
It is as well noteworthy to mention that the first armed struggle for the people of South Sudan began before the Independence of Sudan. It began in the Equatorial Town of Torit on 18 August 1955 and continued until 30 August 1955 by the soldiers in the Garrison of Torit. The Torit Mutiny led by soldiers in the garrison of the Equatorial band of Sudan Defence Force (SDF), in Eastern Equatoria.
When it comes to Independence Anniversary Celebration, there remains little to jubilate in the NCP Regime’s Sudan for the people of Darfur and in the marginalised territories.
Following the foregoing, I sincerely wish a happy New Year 2015 and prosperous, more stability, development in all parts of Sudan and my heartfelt wishes for a real sustainable peace to prevail. However, the masses of the patriotic Sudanese people need to escalate their struggle among all the ranks both peaceful civilian and armed revolutionary together to protect their interests and proceed forward to overthrow the one-party National Congress Party (NCP) regime. The Despotic regime failed the aspirations of the generations and corrupted every aspect of life. After ousting the regime the people of Sudan to proceed and rebuild a new democratic functioning nation for all.
One would not get flabbergasted by the negative view point held by some of the components of the Sudanese citizens about the celebration on the occasion of the fifty ninth Independence of Sudan especially occurring on the 26th anniversary of the rule of the despotic National Congress Party (NCP) regime of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) one-party rule.
There is no room for denying the role-played by the first generation Sudanese politicians to force the British colonials to handover the authority to the Sudanese nationals. The Sudanese ancestors had also struggled for the evacuation of the foreign occupation armies out of Sudan. Those efforts facilitated the ending of the Anglo-Egyptian colonial rule known as Condominium. In 1954, Sudan attained the Self-determination right followed by the declaration of Independence from within the Parliament. Thanks and success went to the parliamentary block of Independence, and defeat to the attempts of the block that advocated that the Sudan is to become under Egyptian Crown.
Stocktaking of the 59th Anniversary of the Independence of Sudan reflects the following yield:
1: three quasi-democratic governments interrupted by military interventions
2: Three main Military Coup de états brought about by the political parties that differ on the fundamentals of a democratic state without regard to the needs of citizens and the country’s stability and integrity
3: 48 odd valuable years lost and went unheeded, during which Military Junta reigned
4: Only 11 years out of the 59 years post-independence are considered years of premature democracy enjoyed by the successive elitist governments which ruled Sudan
5: Sudan is plagued by the autocratic regime of the Political Islam led by the NIF/NCP establishment for the past 26 year where reign of terror remains to date and eager to add more 5 years by April 2015 as it is planning elections to enter solo and earn without a rival.
On Assessing and Stocktaktaking, the 59th anniversary of the independence of Sudan prominent official signs of Independence included the following:
Sovereignty, National flag, national anthem, national currency, opening embassies exchange of embassies with the countries of the world and developing relations, membership of the United Nations Organization (UN) as well as membership in other international organizations and gaining recognition of Regional Organisations and other symbols required for sovereignty. But the real meanings of independence are deeper than the aforementioned symbolic meanings. Thus, a huge number of unanswered questions in this haste present themselves in a nutshell waiting for convincing answers. However, the struggles of our ancestors and forefathers to achieve the independence of Sudan from British colonialism through the eras cannot be denied.. However, the failure that accompanied the years after the independence of Sudan at the hands of the political elites in the Centre that ruled the country and led to the dire situation in which burdened the people of Sudan. Failure, which has been haunting the lives of the people of Sudan, include poverty, illiteracy, disease, hunger, absurd and senseless civil senseless wars, the tyranny of the rulers, rampant nepotism, regionalism and racism instead of justice, equality, rule of law, good governance, prosperity and welfare.
Moreover, the third of the andirons was the collusion between the political elites establishment and the Army Officers aspiring to rule the Sudan and conspiracy for military coups in retaliation against fellow political party opponents. That obviously has delayed the progress of Sudan over the forty-seven years of military junta rule. As well, that has led to shortening the intervals and periods of democratic experience due to interruptions caused by the successive coup d’état epidemics. Military rules have become disasters for the lives of the Sudanese individuals especially for the people of marginalized and rural areas.
Army officers aspiring to take over the reins of power in the country by a military coup succeeded in implementing the three coups and totalitarian dictatorship ruled their systems starting from the government of Ibrahim Abboud and Jaafar Nimeiri and finally the Omar al-Bashir. The latter has been the worst of the military regimes in view to several factors the worst of which exploitation of religion as if it were a monopoly for them and other Sudanese as second class. The fateful camping of the rule of the National Islamic Front (NIF) was big and ominous disaster.
The egocentricities of the subsequent political elite establishment in the centre played negative roles, handcuffed the march of the country, and disappointed the people of Sudan, who have been looking forward to the prospects for progress and prosperity and a decent living. Furthermore, they Played negative roles, affected the aspirations of the citizens, and handcuffed the wheel of development and prosperity expected and brought the country into helter-skelter hubbub Hurly -burly!
The NCP regime has allowed corruption to spread as a fait accompli and protected its cronies who were the perpetrators using the power of oppression and tyranny and led the country to the brink of bankruptcy . Moreover, the hypocrite regime who brayed day and night claiming to be the saviour and protector of Islam enabled local banditry militias and mercenaries imported from the neighbouring countries in lieu of land property, military jobs and official documents to commit the heinous crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide and mass rape in Darfur.
The only option for the people of Sudan to liberate themselves from the abyss is ousting the (NCP) regime. It is absurd for some opposition figures within the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) trying to associate and bet on the ‘Old Guard’ or Gangs or influential members of the NCP who are playing dual role to mislead and cheat on behalf of the NCP. This is nothing but a boring Drama series in which malicious roles exchanged! Here, one holds the nomination of those individuals from the old guard in the notorious Muslim Brotherhood Movement (MBM) who adopt neologism of new trendy political names. The Model names include ‘Sahwa’ or Awakening, ‘Islah Aan’ Reform Now, Saihoon or Tourists, an endless list of loose deceitful Banners free content! They have been the staunchest advocate of the decrepit national dialogue not long ago. Those ones have jumped from the sunken ship swamp of the National Congress Party (NCP) to play dirty roles in the boring serial drama in which there is no such thing called national or a dialogue. Voltaire the French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher famous for his wit said: “Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”
Based on the foregoing, the Sudanese people have only one option for achieving their goal. That option is to overthrow the ruling regime of the NCP. The Sudanese people cannot be able to achieve that by associating with the remnant figures of the (NCP) who work tirelessly for the survival of the regime further than the quarter of the century it already reigned the Sudanese homeland with iron fist under spurious names newly created Purposefully for mere deception. Banners free of content such as those referred to above. The Simple popular saying goes that a venomous snake that bites cannot give the victim an antidote to the poison!
The Sudanese people realized at last the Desertion of the Flawed national dialogue by the professional liar the leader of the ruling regime of the National Congress Party (NCP), fugitive from the international justice the Génocidaire Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir. Instead, the Génocidaire al-Bashir has been vilifying his opponents reigniting sedition to practice his favorite hobby of injustice.
The major violation of legitimacy has been the so-called constitutional amendment by the NCP regime’s Parliament. As it was expected, the NCP Parliament granted the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) the character of regular forces to bear arms and becoming a tool of repression licensed to torture. Unfortunately, those yes men who wrongly referred to as Deputies or Members of the Parliament (MP) are just group of blokes who are ready and steady for thumbing and endorsing whatever their master of grace regime presented for approval regardless of the consequences the resolution may have to do against the constituents they claim to represent.
The National Dialogue – Known as or nicknamed Wathba – unleashed by Omar al-Bashir on January 27 2014 has now gone with the wind and went unheeded as the saying goes. The Constitutional amendments made by the NCP Parliament on Sunday the fourth of January 2015 is the straw that broke the camel’s back and made the Sudanese opposition to abandon any transaction with the NCP and decided to proceed to overthrow regime. The people of Sudan described the act as “Constitutional coup in broad daylight”. The Cheer and applause emanated from the mouths of some members, and decking counterfeit speeches of politicians with big names, intended to confer legitimacy to the amendments coup that lacking no legitimacy. Political analysts indicated that the (NCP) leadership continued repeating the failures in the history of the experiences of other nations. As said by one of the observers, the (NCP) membership did the same; they do not distinguish between the public interest, the interests of their parties and the narrow self-interests. Thus, when removed from power by force, curses followed them, no one mentions anything of use accomplished by them. Someone once stated that although the Muslim Brotherhoods do not forget anything, they fail taking any lessons from their experiences; they are just like the dynasty of the French Monarch the House of Bourbons. Furthermore, one of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) theorists said that the (NCP) which was considered by Islamic forces in and outside the Sudan their hope is now without civilizational project, or a national political project, or even one limited reform project.
The Sudanese people, who have suffered injustice and tyranny exercised by the ruling National Congress Party regime has decided to actively participate to root out the regime from the roots and contribute to the building of a new, democratic, pluralistic Sudan dominated by social justice. The Citizens are equal based on citizenship without any consideration of regional affiliation, tribe, colour, race, political affiliation, religious or any other type of affiliation and living in the state of rule of law and good governance with full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and decent living.
The endless, boring and poorly serialised comedy, the so-called ‘Wathba’ or national dialogue, is blatant lie. That phenomenon went on for more than a year while the bamboozled opposition keeps scrambling behind the mirage catching the aseptic wind fart of oppressive regime led by Omer al-Bashir, the genocidal fugitive from the international justice, the only head of a state avoided- like a scabby – by the civilised people around the globe. The people of the civilised nations around the globe distanced from al-Bashir and his entourage, except the other dictators who collude with him for their common interests of oppression.
The only option for the people of Sudan to liberate themselves from the abyss is ousting the (NCP) regime by a popular uprising arms-protected. It is absurd for some opposition figures within the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) trying to associate and bet on the ‘Old Guard’ or Gangs or influential members of the NCP who are playing dual role to mislead and cheat on behalf of the NCP. This is nothing but a boring Drama series in which malicious roles exchanged! Here, one holds the nomination of those individuals from the old guard in the notorious Muslim Brotherhood Movement (MBM) who adopt neologism of new trendy political names. The Model names include ‘Sahwa’ or Awakening, ‘Islah Aan’ Reform Now, Saihoon or Tourists, an endless list of loose deceitful Banners devoid of content!
Among those was one who used to be a loyal student of the former godfather of the National Islamic Front (NIF) while some others acted as theorists for the regime of the National Congress Party (NCP). It means that they are still part of the regime and have never really left it. Moreover, there are others among the mujahideen during the genocide in Darfur war period. Therefore, the representatives of the Sudanese people from the opposition need not to repeat the previous mistakes that paved the way for Omar al-Bashir to continue in the nest twenty-six lean years and planning to add five more years through his alleged April 2015 elections. There should be no truce with the Demons of lies and deception in the National Congress Party regime. The History of the Muslim Brotherhood has demonstrated beyond doubt their skills of deception, prevarication, maneuvering and then swooping down on those whom they have fooled.
The main reasons for the epidemic of military coups in Post-Independence Sudan include backbiting and conspiring at each other besides collaborating with the common foe, the military establishment putschists that had never fought foreign enemy to preserve the borders of the homeland that have been subject to appropriation by some neighbouring nations for so long years. The result has been an-all civil wars waged by the military establishment.
There should be no truce with the Demons of lies and deception in the National Congress Party regime. The History of the Muslim Brotherhood has demonstrated beyond doubt their skills of deception, prevarication, maneuvering and then swooping down on those whom they have fooled.
The rebel group Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF), the components of the Sudanese people, the civilian opposition in the National Consensus Forces (NCF) and the patriots of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) are planning hard using all available means to overthrow the corrupt regime of the NCP. Moreover, it will establish a democratic homeland that accommodates all the people of Sudan without discrimination or exclusion with the exception of those whose hands contaminated with the blood of innocent people of Sudan. The Génocidaire belonging to the National Salvation criminal killers of the homeland folks would face justice to pay the price of the abominable crimes they perpetrated!
Victory is an ally of the honorable. Disgrace and shame is for the traitors. Destruction is to the hirelings of the militias of the National Congress Party (NCP). Victory continues as the ally of the oppressed and honorable citizens of Sudan. Let us Chant revolution and revolution until victory and not slept the eyes of coward bonded Slaves of the Muslim Brotherhood gangsters! Stay well and long live all freedom fighters!
Dr. Mahmoud A. Suleiman is an author, columnist and a blogger. His blog is http://thussudan.wordpress.com