Better a Divided than a United Sudan in Chaos!
By Aduoljohk W Makuek
“The solution to the fundamental problem of Sudan is to evolve an “all-inclusive Sudanese State, which we have called the New Sudan, a New Sudanese Political dispensation” in which all Sudanese are equal stakeholders irrespective of their religion, race, tribe or gender and if this does not work, then look for other solutions, such as splitting the country”, Dr John Garang, Nairobi Kenya Jan 9th 2005.
Sudan has been a country united since division of the world continents and countries alike. Unity of a country is a solitary duty of every citizen of that nation. Southern people of Sudan have tried an all-inclusive Sudanese state since time immemorial at all cost and not to mention bloodbath purred down, but all in vain. The last one is the current Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of the Sudan which has been viewed internationally as a model for solving Sudan’s gloomy affairs, which have been a bother to the world’s peace and stability.
However, it has failed given NIF/NCP (National Islamic Front/ National Congress Party; (Arabs minority and Islamic radical fundamentalists’ attitudes, perceptions, evil be wishing mentality and maneuverings against Southern people) in governance, economically, socially and morally.
In the aftermath of Sudan’s CPA, the Khartoum-based regime was expected to make peace attractive to the people of South Sudan and other marginalised communities of Sudan. Instead, Khartoum has embarked on its divide and rule policy, hence arms civilians across Southern States to butcher themselves over cattle, water points, grazing lands, murder revenges, and retaliatory attacks as was believed to be.
But the whole game came open when in January and June 2009, Jurbeli of Lakes state was and is armed with new brand Gimp 3 rifles against Agar Dinka by proxy to NCP allegedly on occupation of the territory of Wulu. Till then, the Jurbeli, under instructions of former Commissioner of Wulu are armed, paid and in uniforms of Wildlife (of South Sudan Police Service) forces attire as cover. Where are guns manufactured? In Khartoum!
In Jonglei State alone, there have been four more attacks carried by various state communities against each other taking advantage of their traditional feuds using spears or clubs, but these attacks have been of special target with modern weaponry. The Lou-Nuer carried out retaliatory attack on the Murle in which over 753 persons were killed on both sides. Innocent children, women and the elderly were the vicious targets.
It was the Lou-Nuer youths that carried out a retaliatory attack on Duk Padiet County of Bor Dinka, in which the target was directed not on cattle rustling but rather on GoSS institutions using new brand Gimp 3 rifles, on innocent civilians and in uniforms led by a commander called Chibetek Mabil. (Sudan Tribune news, 20 September 2009)
To begin with, under a united Sudan, original inhabitants have been curved out brutally, subjected to most injurious, humiliating punishments whose basis they have no idea, inhumane survival, their true history distorted such as ‘Diku el Naath le Sudan’ rather than originally “Entry of Arabs into Sudan” . This marks a serious marginalisation of the majority of the Sudanese people of their true identity and denial of their history and background.
Under successive regimes in Khartoum for over half a century, black Africans, the right inhabitants of Sudan, have been subjected to untold suffering ranging from brutal and tragic consequences of a distorted form of Islamic Laws put as a state religion, in which all governance policies are derived from. Jihad declared against Southern people, Nubian, people of Kordofan, all Blue Nile people of Sudan. This took a form of ethnic cleansing by aerial bombardment using the most modernised weapons from China and Russia, summary execution, economic deprivation, forced Islamic Law (Sharia) with total disregard to people’s freedom of religions of others; and we call this a united Sudan? United for what purpose?
Sudan has been at war within itself for the whole of the 53 years of its independence, and as we are ending this war today, another serious one is intensifying in the Western Darfur region, while another one threatens in Eastern Sudan. Why? What is the problem? Why should a community subject itself to generations of war and suffering in so many parts of the country?
It is the attempts by various Khartoum-based regimes to build a monolithic Arabs Islamic state to the exclusion of the other parameters of the Sudanese diversity that constitutes the fundamental problem of the Sudan and defines the Sudanese conflicts. Vast majority have been excluded and continue so by Khartoum-based regimes.
There have been wars and there continues to be wars because the Arabs Islamic state in the Sudan ended up being imposed by force, rather than by consent of the governed through consensual social contracts, and force has been met with force.
The solution to these endemic wars is simple and practical. “SPLIT THE COUNTRY!” Enough is enough of the bloodbath in this country. International community, did you hear that? My right arm!
Violence is war and violence is as a result of denial of one’s dignity, rights, disadvantaged for one reason or the other, demolishes one’s legitimate aspirations that brings in tension, misunderstandings, quarrels, divisions, disrespect for others’ rights, and various forms of injustices either real or imagined. Men usually turn to violence as a last resort when all peaceful and reasonable ways to solve problems fail. Is NIF/NCP in Khartoum on course of all these forms of actions? A Big YES!
My argument would lack its moral force if I stopped at denouncing violence only. Violence is a bad fruit of a bad tree. To put an end to violence, we must uproot the bad tree and plant instead a good tree which will yield good fruits. Uprooting the bad tree of a monolithic Arabs-Islamic state in a united Sudan has proven unturned. Split this country into four such as South Sudan, Darfur, East Sudan and Khartoum as nations of Africa or Middle East as Khartoum has wanted as a good tree to bear good fruits.
It is clear that the work for a secular united Sudan has proven difficult and long. From the onset of Arabs rule in Sudan, injustices, inequalities between man and man, groups, tribes, regions have been promoted in institutions, where unchecked injustices, inequality, discrimination, uneven-development, breakdown of public administration have flourished with impunity.
Hope does not disappoint. Why should Southern people of Sudan’s hopes disappoint them this awash? Why should Southern people stay without rights in the United Sudan? For years, National Islamic Front / National Congress Party have kept the international community on a “Peace Process and Implementation”; wild goose chase.
Mr Rabi Abdel Atti slammed Colonel Muammar Gadhafi of Libya for his support to the creation of an independent state of South Sudan terming it as interference into Sudanese internal affairs and that it will affect bilateral relations. Some circles within NCP have called South Sudan moves for an independent state as a “red line” and that NCP is working hard through law (the Referendum Bill) to make it difficult to attain by Southern people.
Just of late, the NCP parliament majority members led by Ibrahim Tarir have been passing laws that are in-conformity with the CPA, Interim National Constitution of Sudan 2005 as seen in the Press Law, the National Security Law and now the Referendum Law in which they demand 75 percent Yes Vote to declare South Secession and 50 percent Yes Vote to declare Unity; what a contradiction? Where in the world has any presidential nominee been able to win at 75 percent votes or where in the world have any such countries seceded?
Mr Roger Winter, former US Special Representative to Sudan, said that Sudan’s ruling party –NCP is directly responsible for the deaths of literally millions of Sudanese and the destruction of the livelihood of millions more and that NCP has been at war with its people every single day of its rule (Sudan Tribune news, 26 une 2009).
Mr Arman remarked that there had been good reasons that Sudan has been isolated from the outside world because of its human rights records, no respect of law, the humanitarian situation among others.
I would go with General Salva Kiir Mayardit, GoSS President, who remarked that secession that brings peace is better than Unity, (of chaos). (Sudan Tribune news, July 12 2009).
How does Khartoum claim to rule this country as one nation when it is killing its own citizens?