Posts by southsudannews

No Sudanese Alliance can implement the Referendum

Analyses

“The implementation of the remaining CPA provisions is only possible through the political wills of the two peace partners or/and an external intervention by the International community”.

BY Justin Ambago Ramba

May 9, 2010 (SSNA) — Nobody can argue against the truth that it was the Comprehensive Peace agreement (CPA) which brought and continue to sustain the present relative peace enjoyed in south Sudan as well as the other parts of country (except of course Darfur). It is for this very basic reason that the full implementation of the agreement remain relevant but also vital if peace is to be extended and maintained all over the region.

The Sudanese have a historical responsibility at this time to see to it that the greedy politicians do not drag the region back to war. We have fought wars now for over five decades and as if the only out-standing common achievement of the so-called independence of Sudan, declared on January, 1st 1956, is nothing more than the continuous wars and distrust that pursued since then until today between the northerners  and the southerners. 

If we are to ask the successive regimes that ruled Sudan from the republican palace in Khartoum as to why they sustained the civil war in the south, no doubt that all of them without exception will say that they did it for the sake of maintaining the unity of the country. But now with the loss of the 2 million lives in the south, is the unity any nearer?

There are those who look at Sudan’s national crisis from what they think is the logical point of view as it addresses the material gains of all the different parts of the Sudan and especially so of the political north and south divide. In this school are those who continue to dream that one day some miracle will descend from the heaven and all Sudanese black or brown, African or Arabs, Muslims, Christians or Animists , southerners and northerners will wake up to find themselves true Sudanese without the aforementioned adjectives and purely become dedicated to nothing else but a prosperous Sudan for all. Yet we very well know that if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

When the CPA was signed in 2005, it was intended to not only stop the blood-shed between the warring sides, but it was also expected to transform the Sudan into the dream country that I just described above. The difference here, however lies in the fact that the transformation stipulated in the agreement was not expected to fall from the heavens above. It was expected that the Sudanese political leaders would be the ones to actively engage in transforming the Sudanese people so that they satisfy the pre-requisite of remaining one people in one Sudan. But see what they have done.

The politics that emerge following the signing of the CPA and the formation of the initial government of national unity (GoNU), have sadly enough concentrated powers in the hands of the two peace partners leaving the other political parties either marginalised or totally denied of any say on neither the present day Sudan nor its future. This abnormal situation has now given birth to a north that 68% identifies itself with President Omer al Bashir and his NCP, while the south is now 93%, SPLM territory, under H.E Salva Kiir Mayardit. 

In the concluded Sudanese elections, despite its multi-party superficial appearance, the whole exercise was effectively reduced by the two peace partners into a two party division of territories. This has now been successfully achieved, and the other opposition groups in both the north-south political divide have either now accepted  defeat and went under-ground or some may choose to continue to suffer humiliation by accepting hand-out cabinets for the sake of personal survivals or individual egos.

Does it really make any political sense when NCP and SPLM who ruthlessly used maximum fraud in order to monopolize the election are now turning around to appoint as ministers people whom they not only deprived from a free and fair electoral process but also humiliated? If the ruling parties, the SPLM & NCP didn’t like the opposition to have victories in the elections through democracy, why then do they want to have them in the cabinets?   What can a humiliated politician who has lost his pride achieve in a cabinet dominated by his victimisers?

A minister who has no representation in the parliament is either saying that he/she has officially joined the majority party or is out right for a huge unprecedented political gamble, in other wards a mission to dismantle the monster from within. These two are never new political games in the third world and especially so in countries like the Sudan. Otherwise how could you have explained the presence of a southern Sudanese Christian Anglican bishop in the position of a minister of state for foreign affairs in the National Islamic Front (NIF) led military junta?

The people of Sudan may continue to say that the country comes before partisan politics, however no one can really effectively participate in shaping the political features of the nation when they have been official barred out from doing so, especially so following the NCP and the SPLM’s extensive use of all the declared and undeclared illegal and corrupt methods to dominated the Sudanese political life and maintain a tight grip on power. It is now the duty of the two parties to see that the remaining CPA provisions are implemented fully and in time. Any failure to do just that will precisely be blamed on the two partners and no one else.

Meanwhile the call by the deputy SPLM Secretary General for northern Sudan, Yassir Arman  on the "New Sudan and Democratic forces" in northern Sudan to form a broad alliance with his party to establish the New Sudan, doesn’t  represent anything new, it doesn’t also spell in any clear terms the way forward.

At this particular moment in time, the SPLM is expected to keep its promise to the South Sudanese masses who according to declared elections results have casted 93% of their votes for the incumbent SPLM chairman, and president of south Sudan, Cdr. Salva Kiir Mayardit in the believe that he would be the one to lead them to the Promised Land, which clearly translates into an Independent South Sudan nation.

On the other hand Cdr. Yasser Arman a northern Arab Muslim and a long time member of the southern based SPLM remains dedicated to the original vision of attaining a united secular Sudan for all. This view however has lost much of its previous appeals to the people of the South. And as if to cope up with the imminent secession of the South, Cdr. Arman has recently added some new dimensions to his political speech.

Arman’s withdrawal from the presidential race in April remains a cause of deep rifts and concerns within the SPLM party, although the leadership wouldn’t accept that openly. But in a bid to remain within reach of the highlights of the mainstream Sudanese politics, Yassir for the time being has no alternative but to cling to his SPLM party. Whatever that means to the northern sector of the SPLM party which   still remains under his leadership cannot be properly assessed at the moment.

But on the other side, Arman is being very realist with himself when he suggested that the SPLM should form a committee to study the future of the party and the challenges it may face after the referendum. His other message that the New Sudan vision remains valid across geographic and ethnic variations in the country and the stress that voluntary unity of Sudan cannot be maintained without it, remain at large an issue of ideology and self consolation.

Up till here everything suggested by the SPLM northern sector can be viewed in the context of the party’s internal re-arrangements, however the southern grassroots who overwhelmingly voted to retain Sava Kiir in office are now becoming uneasy about some of the statements that recently found their ways to the press and are attributed to senior party members.

The current call for a possible alliance with the other northern opposition political parties as declared by Yassir Arman remains a hugely contested view within the wider south Sudanese circles. It has never been any secret that most northerners (including the people of the Nuba Mountains, Abyei and Southern Blue Nile), remain against the secession of the South. Even Yassir Arman who is now coming out to seek ways for implementation of the remaining provisions of the CPA equally shares the strong unionist views of his colleagues in the geographical north as recently aired by Cdr. Malik Agar Eyre of Southern Blue Nile State.

But in clear indication that politics in Juba doesn’t necessarily agree with those in Damazin, Khartoum or Kadugli, Dr. Riek Machar during his recent meeting with the visiting British Special Representative for Sudan, Michael O’Neil, told the Envoy that unless the dominant National Congress Party (NCP) in the North refrained from taking official position on unity, the SPLM might be compelled to respond with a message of a recommended choice to the people of south Sudan.

Dr. Teny however didn’t reveal exactly which choice between unity and secession the SPLM would want to recommend to the people of the South. Yet common sense says it all.

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Was there a Need to Conduct Elections under the State of Lawlessness in Southern Sudan?

Articles

“A house divided against itself cannot stand – I belief this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free” (Abraham Lincoln).

By Deng Riak Khoryoam

May 8, 2010 (SSNA) — The over simplified answer to this question is a ‘definite No’ as far as my keen observation and critical analogy is concerned. While for some, this question could be answered differently based on one‘s own understanding as well as careful analysis as this has far reaching implications; and especially for those who may choose to shy away from the truth for whatever reasons. One thing I know for sure is that different people always have different ways of interpreting and understanding things; either in a peculiar way or in a way that satisfies other people‘s expectations on that particular topic. There are those who would like to live under illusion other than the present reality and have continued to do so not knowing the consequences of living in captivity of negativity.

It’s imperative to applaud the Sudanese civil populace and in particular that of southern Sudan for their civility in maintenance of peace during the recently concluded elections, they have demonstrated their quest for democracy and the need to have democratically elected leaders mandated by the people, other than leaders being imposed on them like what has been the case during the CPA era in the Sudan. As a matter of principle, these people have withstood the test of time as they were faced with extremely enormous challenges which include: meeting gun point, political persecution and harassments are but just a few of what they endured till this very movement when the results are being announced. As many have said, most of them (our people) have had the chance to vote in the election for the first time in their lives as the previous elections held in Sudan did not include all parts of the country. Thus only those who lived in towns under the control of the government, the garrison towns participated in those partial elections.

The elections that were conducted recently in Sudan were the first inclusive elections in 24 years and were supposed to be free and fair, even if not transparent as a matter of necessity. Many election’s observers, especially AU and some national observers said the elections were free and fair and were trying to make us believe that supposition without any reservations. Unfortunately the said elections were not free and fair particularly in Southern Sudan. But the EU observers said that Sudan’s elections fell short of international standards as they rightly put it that “they did not meet international standards” not only because the major political or opposition parties in the north had boycotted but on other obvious grounds. They are correct, and even some of us could agree with them on this line.

Of particular interest is how the elections were conducted in Southern Sudan. My fellow Southern Sudanese who were in the semi-autonomous south would give us testimonies on request, if need be, of how the elections went (conducted) from the start to the finish and to give us their observations and evaluation. One does not need to be a rocket scientist to know that the recent elections were not just rigged but something well organized and planned before the commencement of polling to have a mass rigging or “vote grabbing”, to be a bit precise, by the ruling party in the South the SPLM as one of the writers had mentioned or put it.

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Consequences of Rigged Elections in Southern Sudan

Articles

By Dr. James Okuk

“Many electoral systems for example are institutionalized frauds. They include the so-called “democratic centralism” of communist systems and most one-party systems. In these, the people have hardly any choice in who their representatives shall be. One way or another the choice is made for them!” (Dr. Afrifa K. Gitonga, University of Nairobi, 1987).

May 6, 2010 (SSNA) — In political philosophy of democracy, the English philosopher John Locke and French Philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau theorized it rightly that mature human beings should never be ruled arbitrarily. Instead, a covenant or social contract should be made on the basis of the General Will which makes the people the sovereign authority. But since the people cannot all rule at the same time, they have to elect one of them in a fair, free and equal manner to represent them as their ruler according to the principles and terms of the covenant or the social contract (the constitution and other related laws). And as long as such elected ruler act and continue to act in respect and service of the people, they shall have obligation to obey him and his rule. Should such a ruler break the spirit and terms of the contract, the people shall have the equal obligation to do away with him and his government so as to install another good, fair and just government of their choice. Thus is how the adopted democracy in the Sudan supposed to look like, but alas!

Early I recommended strongly to the National Elections Commission (NEC) under Mr. Abel Alier (I remove Honorable from his title this time because he has proven to be dishonorable with his announcement of the fraudulent elections results) that the rigged elections boxes should be disqualified and the riggers brought to book for stealing the people’s confidence. Alas! Dishonorable Abel Alier and his NEC did not heed to the voices of wisdom as they resorted to respect of irrationality by declaring the real losers as winners and winners as losers shamelessly, especially given the SPLM/A madness of rigging the polling results in Southern Sudan.

Mr. Alier and his shameless NEC told the victims of the vote riggings to raise their objections to the Constitutional Court where the verdicts were obvious to be eraser of any objection for the simple reason that adjourning the rigged elections shall be costly in terms of logistics, human resource, management and other tactical and strategic selfish interests of the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), the two Naivasha’s CPA partners who have employed and are paying the dishonorable NEC chief and his staff.

Notwithstanding, those who adjudicate the objections in this court have been recommended for appointments in their respective position by the SPLM and NCP in accordance with the CPA power sharing percentages. Can they defy serving their masters and can they dare biting the hands that feeds them? Not at all, and including Mr. Alier and his NEC staff as well. Very unfortunate!

Perhaps, Mr. Prosecutor General Luiz Moreno-Ocampo of the International Criminal Court (ICC) will be a happy man here for enhancement of the proof of his case for warranting the trial of Mr. President Al-Bashir at The Hague since there is no independent and neutral judiciary in the Sudan to do justice to the victims of social and political crimes, especially when committed by the ruling parties like NCP in the North and SPLM in the South. By canceling every objection raised against the SPLM and NCP candidates elect, is there a neutral judiciary in the Sudan?

No doubt, that is why many democratic countries and international community, especially those who were involved in observing the Sudan elections have held their tongues to send congratulations messages to the declared elections winners like Mr. Al-Bashir, Mr. Kiir and their SPLM-NCP governors and parliamentarians. Instead, they congratulated the Sudanese people only for turning out and voting peacefully for their preferred and chosen leaders. See the different!!!

But at least the rigging that took place in Northern Sudan under the NCP was done technically without contradiction to the number size of the registered voters. That is why you don’t see any instant of pre-elections violence over there. That is why also you see the NCP declaring Mr. Malik Agar as the winner of gubernatorial contest in the Blue Nile State without any bloodshed though it was known that he lost so badly to the NCP candidate. For the NCP, Mr. Agar is a good-boy to be lose because he has sold them vast lands for agriculture with capital flowing from the oil-rich Gulf countries for securing their food from the fertile lands in the Sudan. He is a good-boy because he stands against secession and independence of South Sudan. Perhaps, according to the NCP strategists and interests calculators, if Mr. Agar was declared a loser he might have spoiled the whole land deal, and the huge money from the Gulf states that has been poured into his agriculturally fertile and loose state would have been missed regretfully. Perhaps Mr. Agar would have turned separatist immediately. Look at the smartness of the NCP when it comes to securing their interests! What about our poor SPLM and incompetent Mr. Kiir in the South? Nil!!!

The SPLM under Mr. Kiir and his cronies failed miserably to play a smart electrons rigging game. The consequence now is an armed military rebellion in the South by former SPLA generals who contested for gubernatorial positions as independent candidates in defiance of SPLM Political Bureau dictatorship. At least the political rebellion of those of Dr. Lam Akol and others against SPLM and Mr. Kiir was a lesser evil because it involved no manifestation and ramifications of violent use of power. Surely, with such incompetence and lack of strategic thinking and planning, Mr. Kiir’s SPLM is messing up the direly needed conducive environment for successfully conducting the referendum for self-determination of Southerners and Popular Consultation for the transitional areas in 2011. God save us!

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How bitter the injustice suffered, South Sudan must still come first

Articles

By Justin Ambago Ramba

May 2, 2010 (SSNA) — It is one thing to talk about injustice and it is another to be a direct victim of it. The same goes with how different it is to hear about it as opposed to not only experience it but in fact to live under it. Such is the experience of a big portion of the people of Sudan in general and the south Sudanese in particular.

Sudan recently concluded a general election that saw the re-election of incumbent president Omer al Bashir at the national level and Salvatore Kiir Mayardit in the South. The polls however being the first to involve many parties since 1986, it has already suffered incredibility and was declared by US and European Union as fraudulent and below the international standards.

In South Sudan where the population is expected to vote in another elections (plebiscite), where they are expected to overwhelmingly choose to secede from the Arab north, the extreme levels of harassment, intimidation, fraud, and vote grabbing exercised by the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) during the conduct of the elections have left behind a huge sense of injustices whose magnitude can only be better expressed by the immediate victims themselves and their frustrated supporters.

Although at the end of the day we are supposed to end up with only one winner for every post contested in this elections, and we keep on asking the losers to accept defeat in a civilized way, yet such messages are not to be accepted to easily go well in the post elections south Sudan, given the massive board-day light vote grabbing, “nyakama” witnessed in almost every inch of this territory.

South Sudan has a good number of opposition parties, and in the bottom line they overwhelmingly seem to agree on one important thing and that is the secession of the South to form an independent country that will become Africa’s newest state come January 2011. On the other hand the dominant SPLM which is principally a unionist party, has always called for a united Sudan, but on new basis , assumedly a secular state, a view not shared with its peace partner the Islamic, National Congress Party (NCP) of Omer Al Bashir, who is adamant to keep Islam in the centre of the Sudanese politics. This argument can only be brought to rest when finally the South votes in the referendum to be held barely eight months from now.

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USSP Congratulates Salva kiir

Articles
Dear President Elect, Salva Kiir Mayardit, April 27, 2010 (London, UK) — The United South Sudan Party (USSP) takes this opportunity to congratulate your Excellency for your victory in the…
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