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Sudan Tribune

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South Sudan and the Sudan need strong bilateral ties

By Isaiah Abraham

December 21, 2011 — The Republic of South Sudan (RSS) and the Republic of the Sudan (RS) relationships have reached its lowest ebb ever. During the Interim Period from 2005 to 2011, the two erstwhile foes had differences, but the situation didn’t reach the height of the military and wild provocations, as is the case now. After the split in July this year, the two countries have failed the test of working together on matters generated by the same. The matters were made worse when the two traditional friends of the South (the Blue Nile & Southern Korfofan) were declared war zones by the National Congress Party (NCP).

Between RSS and RS there have been accusations and counter accusations against one another, a scenario that have technically put the two countries into unnecessary cold or ‘hot’ war. There is no need for hostility to be exact brethren, even if the two countries disagreed on pertinent matters of coexistence. The two countries therefore must work out some ways to peacefully resolve their differences. Belligerency and confrontation won’t help resolve the outstanding differences, but dialogue. For the good of the people of the two nations, there has to be ties and bilateral relations, bad blood and ugly history notwithstanding

For the Republic of the Sudan, just to begin, they must play a fatherly role to matters related to South Sudan, and the RSS should also not forget the history that binds it with that ‘father’ called the Republic of the Sudan. But the father shouldn’t push the little son to a hard rock. The ‘boy’ won’t find space to breath. Khartoum ought to relax its stance on Abyei, Border Demarcation, citizenship and its restrictive trading policies or market practices against the RSS.

The RS has a fundamental role to play when it comes to building of relationship with the RSS. RSS has just started from nowhere and RS needs to show restraints and patience and help this new nation to pick up. In contrast, what the Sudan is doing right now, by competing with the new emerging nation called South Sudan, is not desired! They must go slow and complete the noble mission they have started in the Kenyan town of Machakos in 2002.

A responsible government can’t and will not be lured into prolonging the suffering of its citizen it purports to protect. Khartoum being the epicenter for political and military mantra of the larger Sudan should have avoided becoming obstacle to other regions well being. There is no reason for that at all. The South Sudan event (separation) was bound to happens, whether Khartoum was for it or not. The split was to take place willy-nilly and no one should bend on punishing anyone about it.

Khartoum must allow the people of Abyei the right to choose their destiny, as came from the Abyei Protocol. It must start with allowing the ruling by the Courts of Arbitration in the Hague on the borders then actual exercise. These people deserve to go for plebiscite; the sooner the better. There is no need to keep them in political limbo and under harsh conditions. Their situation in Mayen Abun and other surrounding areas in Warrap State is indeed pathetic. As things stand, their political status is shrouded with uncertainty with no much interest anymore these days from people with whom the Abyei people have entrusted their future (say Juba). Khartoum must exercise maturity and let the Dinka Ngok to decide their future in an atmosphere of friendship.

On the border impasse, Khartoum shouldn’t push inside territories of Dinka, Balanda and Shilluk. The Sudan is big compares to the South. The 1956 Border between the North and the South is archaic known to everyone. Anyone from the North and the North can tell where the border lies. Jau is even deep inside and there are other places west of it where Khartoum has encroached. The current South Sudan map is interfered and North ought to tame their ambition. You can’t bring the border between the South and the North to Fangak in Jonglei State. Land was why we died.

Juba on their side must understand that Khartoum needs a market and that is why it has sought and knocked at the door of the East Africa Community. The South to the North should have been a permanent trading partner, not Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia or Chad. Juba should open up for their Northern country because without it, the South would choke the Northern an already battered economy after the split. Yes we belong to East Africa, but Khartoum should have been our first trading partner. We have been spending a lot of money on building materials, food, medicine, etc coming from East Africa, but the North could have been cheaper.

Socially, we still have hundreds of thousands if not millions of Southerners still living in the North. We have enough children in Northern schools than those around here, majority of them are in colleges, isn’t this a factor to keep up with that relationship? Yes I do think so; we must endeavor to find ways of working with the Northern Sudan. We must hence not engage the North in clandestine theories to destabilize it. If the North will reciprocate, well and good and if not, we will be justified when we go on the offensive to paralyze the North. President Kiir in this respect must get back to President Al Bashir for a peaceful resolution of the outstanding issues.

Isaiah Abraham lives in Juba; he is on [email protected]

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