By Stephen Puoch Gai Nilony
July 26, 2010 (SSNA) — With reference to the above title, I can say simply that, unity is togetherness in everything .it is a beneficial if those who are united respect their unity and togetherness.
In the case of the republic of Sudan, we the southerners, have been suffering and faced a lot of difficulties because of this colonial imposed unity between the North and Southern Sudan. You all know all the ups and downs of this disgraceful unity where some citizens (including myself) are classified and treated as permanent second or third class citizens. As a Sudanese, who is convinced of every single historic event from the events which governed and colored the relationship between North and South, I will only say without making any illustrations, about the incidences for the years of 1947, 1954, 1983, 1997, up to NOW without ending, the delaying program(s) in the implementation of the CPA.
I mentioned these dates as a quick references for the round table conference, post independence deceive to the Southerners for Federation, Addis Ababa Agreement, Khartoum and its supplementary Fashoda agreement( all these agreements are dishonored) and now we remained only with the last agreement which did not recover up to now from symptoms of same disease of the former agreements. This time it is a feet –dragging strategy in implementing this last and for all agreement (CPA) (Insha Allah) if God wishes.
The subject matter of this article is not all the above facts and realities; it is only about disputing a baseless talking only about an attractive unity between South and North Sudan without putting into consideration an attractive secession. At first let us take the attractive unity as the new found urgent need now days for the Sudanese people in general and the Northern elites in particular.
To me, sweet talks from anybody (from those who may be nationalist or not) and singing new and best songs about the known and the old witnessed ordinary unity is not convincing anybody at this crucial time of to be or not to be? Nobody from the intentionally marginalized groups can buy this stock whether, in a form of a whole sale or retailer. What I mean is that, calling for only unity without stating the type and the quality of it cannot let any unity attractive.
My personal request from those who are calling and working very hard day and night for the unity of the Sudan, is to tell the general public in the whole Republic of the Sudan, the type, soul and the components of this new attractive unity. Will it be like the current one which resulted in worsening the relationship between the sons and daughters of a one nation? All the problems which happen in the past through the wrong policies of the successive rulers in the centre against the Southern Sudanese were an unwanted natural products and big harvest of this imposed unity.
You the initiators of the new and attractive unity, should explain to the people, anything about the new unity? What are its features and characteristics before it could be attractive to those it may concern? If possible, please innumerate the criteria of this proclaimed new national unity in our country. Let it not be a utopia or a whish full thinking. Let it be realistic if it has a humane noble meaning which could promote a good livelihood of the Sudanese people everywhere. We want to know the new dimensions of this new unity. So please Sirs bring forward your new amendments to the old destructive unity of a servant and his master or of a horse and its rider.
In current unity there are rights of none Muslims in the national capital or the capital of an Islamic country. Where is my right as a mere Sudanese? Please convince us of the new shape of the forthcoming attractive unity before the referendum. We all know that, Sudan as a land up to now did not and will not failed us; we have been failed only by our successive leaders since independence. To those whom it may concern, we the Southerners, are given this black soil as piece of land by the almighty God, we will not expect his almighty to come and tell us to choose what is better for our future and for the generations to come.
As a committed Christian I cannot depend on my limited and temporary human strength, but I believe that, we the southerners, in all our steps towards our liberty, need only God help to guide our steps to it under the administration of an elected wise leadership in the South. For instance, if our unity as people of one nation failed us to make our earthly life easy, why not giving the second alternative choice in the CPA, the attractive secession a chance to make the life of the people easy for the rest of their remaining years according to each individual’s life expectancy.