The People of the South Will Die Again
South Sudan Democratic Forum-Canada
Since the signing of the Machakos Protocol in 2002, the South Sudan Democratic Forum has been calling the international community to convene South-South Peace Process between the SPLM and other political factions in the South. The aim of other political groups is that a lasting peace in Sudan is realizable only if a separate peace agreement is signed between the SPLM and other political groups. It is to be recalled that most political factions which are members of the Democratic Forum signed 1997 Khartoum Agreement, which is enshrined in the current Constitution of Sudan. Logic dictates that South-South Peace Process is required to merge Khartoum Agreement and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
South Sudan Democratic Forum-Canada welcomed Moi’s Foundation when it accepted to mediate between the SPLM and other political factions in the South. However, president Moi did not conduct himself the way other political groups expected. Moi’s Foundation was made aware by the Democratic Forum about the ulterior motives of the SPLM and the GoS which militated against a just peace in Sudan because both parties wanted to impose bilateral dictatorship. Despite all the advice given to president Moi to handle the dialogue, the impartiality demanded by Democratic Forum and SSDF was compromised by president Moi himself when he set the agenda of the dialogue as the means to facilitate the return of other political groups to the SPLA as Garang wished. The appeals made to president Moi to follow the principles of conflict resolutions were to no avail. President Moi, under the influence of his friend Garang, continued to convene the dialogue despite the absence of the main political factions in the South.
The so-called South-South Dialogue which took place between April 18-22 is nothing but a moral scandal conducted by Moi to enrich himself. It is not the real South-South Dialogue that would bring about lasting peace in Sudan. It is a dialogue which failed before it was even convened because SSDF, Coordinating Council and Democratic Forum-Canada did not take part due to partiality of president Moi’s approach to the dialogue.
The position of SSDF and Democratic Forum on peace in Sudan is very clear: For the lasting peace to be realized in Sudan, there has to be South-South Peace Process which would rectify mistakes committed by the SPLM and the GoS in the Power-sharing and Cease Fire Protocols. It has to be noted that those protocols were negotiated by two parties without regard to the wishes of other political groups. Hence, they can never be implemented without rectification in order to accommodate the wishes of other political groups.
The misuse of South-South Dialogue by Moi’s Foundation is a tragic mistake that would cost lives in the South if the international community fails to rescue the situation before it is too late. The international community must take note of Somali example before sending UN peace keeping forces to Sudan. The factional problems in the South need to be addressed before the realization of any peace in the country.
Therefore, the Democratic Forum and SSDF urge the UN, the US and IGAD to call another South-South Dialogue that will genuinely address political differences in the South.
Gordon Buay Reath
Chairman Of South Sudan Democratic Forum-Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
Tel. (613)260-9307