By Daniel Abushery Daniel
“Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We
must sail sometimes against it, but sail we must and not drift, nor lie at
anchor.” said by Oliver Wendell Holmes.
August 12, 2010 (SSNA) — Without a doubt, South Sudanese people have gone through some tumultuous times in which- time and time again- very many agreements were either dishonored or simply ignored by the Northern elites in Khartoum, and there’s no indication that the chronic habits are going away any time soon.
Yet, for the sake of keeping the record straight, and to refresh the memory of
some of the South Sudanese who have lived long enough to experience those
mischievous, disproportion, and devious era of dishonored agreements that
were signed between Khartoum governments on the one hand, and the people of
South Sudan, on the other, since and before the so-called " Independence of
Sudan" in 1956.
To shed light on the matters, I wish to begin with the 1947 Juba Round Table
Conference, where Southern community chiefs were literally deceived and seduced
to an empty promise that their demands will be made after Sudan becomes an
independent state. And that South will be given priority in development, but not
even a hut was built in the whole South.
But just only a decade later, exactly in 1964, The North once again said to
the South Sudan that its demands for justice and self rule would be granted.
Again, that pledge was not met, and no explanation was given either!
Not only that, in 1972, former President of Sudan Jafaar Muhammad Nummeri
fooled the Southerners with self-rule government, which led to the signing of
Addis Ababa Accord, ending the civil war. Unfortunately, the Addis Ababa Accord
would not last but for ten-years only. Then in 1983, Jafaar Nummeri abolished
the Agreement in a nationally televised speech in which he said his famous
quote: “The Addis Ababa Agreement is not the Quran or the Bible."
As a result, South Sudan nationalists had no other choice but to take up arms
once more, and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM/A) under the
leadership of Dr. John Garang de Mabior was born.
But it didn’t end there, Dr, Riek Machar and Dr. Lam Akol simultaneously signed
agreements with Khartoum regime, ( Khartoum, and Fashoda Peace Agreements), but they also were all dishonored and abolished in a blink of an eye and the two
doctors were forced to returned back to SPLM.
Thus, the obvious question in south Sudan political arena is: how many times are
we going to be deceived?
We need your answers!
Lastly, when the comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed In 2005, the
central government has promised to carry out some tangible developmental
projects, which would have helped in healing the wounds and bitterness of the
war, and to make unity attractive to the victims of that war well before the
Southerners can decide their fate in the much anticipated referendum in 2011.
Yet, again, nothing has been achieved in the past 5- years in terms
of infrastructures, to make unity attractive. But, instead, the elites are
now adamant in playing the usual games. However, the good news is, they have to
re-think their position, because things in South Sudan have changed drastically
in the last five years and counting. Today’s Southerners are clearly more
vigilant to be seduced with power or money.
Nonetheless, we need to continue to be on the lookout, because the enemy is
still trying to test our will with the resumption of war, if our leaders won’t
give up their call for the referendum to be conducted as scheduled. Well, they
will not have their way this time around. As the phrase says: "Barking dogs
seldom bite,” but if they make any mistake to wage a war, the outcome will be
devastating and they will learn an unforgettable lesson that they will be
remembering for the rest of their lives.
I recall what late Dr. John Garang de Mabior once said while in Rembek: “I and
those who joined me in the bush and fought for more than twenty years have
brought to you the CPA in a golden plate. Our mission is accomplished. It is now
your turn, especially those who did not have a chance to experience bushes’
life. When time comes to vote at referendum, it is your golden choice to
determine your fate. Would you like to vote to be second class citizens in your
own country? It is absolutely your choice," he warned.
Therefore, we are not beating the drums of war as our enemy is doing. We want a
peaceful and civilized divorce with less expenses, But, of course, the war
mongers and boomerangs will continue with their ill – wishes to fail the
aspiration of our peoples. But they must remember, we don’t need some uniforms
to fight for our nation if we are compelled to do so, we shall be ready to fight
until the last drop of our blood, and Khartoum will be the battle field. Shalom.
The author is a graduate of Criminal Justice residing in the USA, He can be
reached at: [email protected] or [email protected]