South Sudan Needs Unity To Overcome Challenges

By Isaiah Abraham

(Gurtong edited and posted)-The Republic of South Sudan, the nation to be born in few week time, needs to unite in the face of enormous challenges from everywhere. It is apparent that there are forces inside and outside this country that are doing everything in their power in an attempt to see the South failed. They are ready to do it now or immediately after independence.
These threats are real and our people, especially leaders, must watch out. We are a besieged nation; unless we have toiled for nothing only to throw it away at an eleven hour.

If you happened to be living in Juba, within this period from last month (May 2011), particularly from the moment the Transitional Constitution was passed by the Council of Ministers, there were forces that spoil for confrontation against what they saw as bullying by the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, (SPLM). They have been fighting in many different ways, even infiltrating some SPLM members to sing their tune. They don’t care about the Big Day on July 9 around the corner but plots after plots against the SPLM party. Majority of these people still live in Khartoum with a few others outside the country. Their sympathizers are around us, clone as agents of change and of democracy. It is not anymore a constitutional differences but tribal politics of this group against that group or this tribe against that tribe.

We have been hearing members of our society engaging each other about rumours related to issues in the constitution, and then a bomb shell when our President openly linked or chided his Assistant about a certain constitutional document purported to have been written by the staff of the Vice President. The document proposes some amendments on some clauses, removing some and paraphrases others. It was directed to the Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly.

Our beloved Vice President is currently on a mission outside the country drumming up support for the people of Southern Sudan, after Southern territory (Abyei) was invaded and annexed by callous Arabs on May 19, 2011.

People were left scratching their heads as to why did the big man choose this time to blame his Deputy. That scenario became hot topic all over the South, but thanks to our people, the majority are never concerned about such outbursts from Kiir. He sometime tongue cheeked everyone, and nothing was ever a deal.

But personally I strongly think that the document was the work of the enemies of Southern Sudan, people whose future lies when the two big leaders separate.

I can say authoritatively that the Vice President Office has nothing to do with the said document unless proven otherwise. The confusion came somewhere. Look at this piece of article on hyperlink at Gurtong Website (https://gurtong.net/ECM/Editorial/tabid/124) written by some of our intellectuals “From Equatorian Sudanese Community Association in United States of America”, entitled “Memorandum on Draft Transitional Constitution of ROSS”. Just take a look and compare the clauses. There are remarkable similarities and even the language is very close. Could the group be responsible for such a scheme to put a wedge between Kiir and Machar? I don’t know, time will tell!

Juba leadership in this case should not take their eyes away from the main target on July 9, 2011. Let’s not bother much about our internal differences on the constitution. To me it is already a done deal. Parliament should hurry to pass it that way! But the said political events or rumours are mere distracters by saboteurs whose sole objective is to foil the aspiration of the people of Southern Sudan. They have left themselves out of everything and are desperate to disrupt the march to July 9. People know them and we shouldn’t be disturb. July 9 will come and go, but these people…

Look, I read the said document and the paper has nothing new to cause fuss about. The same issues, the same people behind the scene. The bait unfortunately was ‘swallowed’ by President Kiir and on face value move to show rancour to one of our most productive leaders in our land. President Kiir made a hasty judgment; to backbite his Assistant publicly and when the former was on a crisis mission abroad.

If, however Dr Machar had a hand in this paper, then I pity him because such a move is irresponsible and stand to be condemned. Why? Not because the document has nothing of value for our children, that needs to be incorporated, but irresponsible in a sense that being that big, the big man shouldn’t have been going low to work underground. He is tall!

But deep within me, I believe this is a typical work of the third party, people who are interested in division of the SPLM; it has nothing to do with the Vice President. I want Guandit to keep quiet, ignore and never response to Kiir charges.

But the issue of unity for the people of Southern Sudan, my people, has become a challenge and if we fail the test at our time, we shall be a laughing stock by generations after us.

The unity we have been saying aloud often here isn’t about unity between this party and that party or group of leaders united by ideology; rather it is all about Malwal and Gatwei minds coming together. During Uncle Lagu time, we were closer moving there, but somewhere we lost the direction and leaders of today are busy dividing us further by their useless politics. The call about decentralization is nothing but division of our people, period!

Advocates of decentralization, federalism or regionalism have one agenda in mind: the division of our society such that they become kings on their regions. Shush! They must not be allowed! These people are bad students of history; they easily forget that experience has shown that when people go for regions, even within regions the chopping will continue among the same group of one region.

The world is moving away from there, as new ways of sharing wealth and resources are deviced. By division, there is no assurance that we can find peace, equality and unity. Let’s dialogue among ourselves. Running away from one another isn’t a solution. If one often dig his/her spoon deep, the option is not to walk away, but to sit down and face him/her that what he/she does isn’t right.

It is my humble plea, therefore, that the leaders of the day make no mistake of adapting regionalism for that is recipe for more troubles. Federalism or regionalism is Kokora by another name. It must be rejected because it can do more harm to us than good.

I don’t care about Kiir or Machar becoming dictators, the Transitional Constitution is 99% good. Decentralization call is about everything, which in our situation is too earlier. If we regionalize security forces, as this policy envisages, we shall have nothing in common but dots in the form of passport, flag and national anthem. Unity of Southern Sudanese will make us strong in the face of many evolving challenges of building our beloved country.

Imagine in Central Equatoria, just an example, has over 2,000 well trained nurses, but in some states in Upper Nile and Greater Bahr El Ghazal we have less than 500 trained nurses. What does this tell you about the devil called kokora (federalism) the opposition groups are preaching anywhere? These people are scratching a rotten politics, the very policy most Southerners have refused! It simply shows in balance and underutilization of our talents in some parts and over staffing in another part of our land.

There are as many intellectuals roaming our streets in Juba and Bor without jobs, while high schools leavers are ministers, director generals in other parts of Southern Sudan, does anyone realize that this would have been a disaster in waiting by allowing our talents to waste. We need to benefit from one another, irrespective of our regional background.

I strongly look forward for a country we shall all be proud to serve anywhere; a land someone will not ask me ‘from which region do I come’, but for ‘what skills I have’ for the use by the people of South Sudan. This constitution has these provisions well spell out. To hell with kokora/federalism/decentralization quest.

Leaders must unite, youth should do the same. Kiir and Machar unity is key for the stability of Southern Sudan. If anything happen between the two leaders (Kiir and Machar), say struggle for power between the two, Dinka and Nuer will throw this great land to the dogs. Majority of these people are ruthless, arrogant and egocentrics. They are bad!

Let’s make this final leap to freedom with no discord among ourselves. Let’s not make this constitution any reason to spoil our unity; after all we are only writing a provisional constitution. Tomorrow we shall have a final one. In this period leading to 2015 if Mr Kiir misbehaves it will give us an added ammunition (read corruption) to refuse him another ticket after the Transition Period at the end of that year (2015).

Please my people it time to make use of one another as Southerners for the betterment of all, and not to engage in small politics, my tribe against that tribe. Down with reactionary forces, long live unity between Kiir and Machar. SPLM Oyees, Azania Oyee!