Popular consultations must go ahead
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By Peter Oyoyo Kleto
October 3, 2011 — According to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement sign
in Nairobi on January 9, 2005 between the National Congress Party and
the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM), Southern Kordofan
together with Southern Blue Nile are supposed to have their popular
consultations conducted to determine whether they want to be part of
the old Sudan or opt out to be part of the newly independent South
Sudan.
This dream has not yet been achieve as the National Congress Party is
holding those states hostage by not only extending the plebiscite
period but by also denying members of SPLM Northern Sector (SPLM-N)
from participating in the political affairs of the two contested
states. For example, His Excellency Hon. Ahmed Haroun, governor of
Southern Kordofan is said to have cheated the election and therefore
the result was not recognised by the SPLM-NS candidate, Hon. Abelaziz
Alhilu. This confusion has cause serious political and military feuds
in South Kordofan resulting in military confrontations between the
Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People Liberation Army -
Northern sector.
Southern Kordordan and Southern Blue Nile legally speaking are suppose
to go for their referendum without delay to decide their fate through
the right to the exercise of self-determination so as to complete the
implementation of the hard-won comprehensive peace agreement. What
some of us are seeing now is very dangerous than what we thought it
would be; the intentional tactic by the National Congress Party to
delay the implementation of the right of popular consultation as
spelled out in the hard-won CPA is in itself a serious violation of
the right of self-determination as stated in the agreement.
We all know that the right calls for the people of the two states to
decide their fate on whether to remain part of "Old Sudan" or join the
newly independent state of South Sudan through the right to the
exercise of self-determination as agreed in letter. This manner of
dragging the two states to be part of North Sudan by force as
illustrated by the military activities of the Sudan Armed Forces in
both of the two states.
The house of the former SPLM-N governor of Blue Nile, Malik Agar,
house was attacked as he fled to an unknown area. Al Hilu’s location
in South Kordofan is up-to now not known by anyone except by those
close to him and himself. Some of us may ask these questions:
Has the CPA died already?
What is the intention of the National Congress Party for resorting to
military means to intimidate, to take over the two states by force,
and to harass members of the SPLM/A North sector?
The heinous crimes committed by the Sudan Armed Forces in Southern
Kordofan and Blue Nile cannot be forgotten by the international
community together with those on the grounds, not forgetting Southern
Sudanese masses the victims. The people of the two states have the
right to decided whether or not they want to be part of the North or
South and their decision will based on whether the interim period has
brought favourable weather to them or not.
My analysis of NCP behaviors has informed me that the government in
Khartoum has been politically defeated and have not convince the
people of the two states through delivery of basic services and
amendment of constitution to accommodate the demands of SPLM-N and
other political parties. As a result, they think the only way for them
to keep those two states to be part of North is through military means
and this is exactly what they have done and are still currently doing.
The right of self-determination through popular consultation that they
themselves are a signatory of is not anymore in their table. Abel
Alier book “Too Many Agreements Dishonored” has taught us a lot of
political games that the different successive regimes in Khartoum have
been playing, this is indeed true as illustrated by the different
regimes that have rule the Sudan. For this reason we are calling for
the international community together with the government of South
Sudan, IGAD, Africa Union and the insiders’ opposition parties or
groups to intervene so as to at least save the lives of innocent
civilians that are being slaughtered on daily basis by the Sudan Armed
Forces under the instructions of the leaders of the National Congress
Party. Unless these groups I have just mention above intervene, the
Sudanese car will not drive in different direction.
In my view, the government in Khartoum will soon fall apart because
different opposition groups from all corners of the Sudan and in the
center itself have expressed their dissatisfaction with this
government and are ready to do whatever is in their power to bring
this government down. Recently, the different rebel groups located in
western Darfur region have concluded agreement with SPLM/A North to
work hand in hand for a common objective; which is to overthrow this
oppressive and racist government of Al - Bashir by both military and
political means. Even heavy weight political parties such as the Umma
party and the Popular Congress Party headed by Hassan al Turabi have
also expressed their anger at how the government is handling the
country. Those parties have already found a common identity and a
formula to solve the Sudanese equation with.
This formula is what defines the fundamental problem of Sudan which is
identity and the definition of the Sudan as an Islamic Arab State and
therefore allowing for the imposition of Islamic Sharia law and the
subsuming of the religious sphere to the political sphere as one for
governance of the country. Yes, it is true that we have Arabs in the
Sudan and yes there are Muslims in the Sudan, “but this does not make
North Sudan an Islamic Arab state or an Arab Islamic state”, because
Sudan is multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-racial, multi-cultural
and therefore could not be define by Arab image or Arabism.
North Sudan is bigger than just being an Arab or a Muslim. Northerners
who are not part of such ideology should say no and clearly state to
the Khartoum government that we are much bigger than what you think we
are. Now the common objective is extreme marginalisation; politically,
socially, militarily and economically. This is what the whole
marginalised people in the North have in common because this is what
affects their lives on a daily basis.
In conclusion, Sudan has a chance to accommodate those with different
opinions, ideas but in order to do so, the Sudanese government should
create an atmosphere that brings a feeling of belonging. Each Sudanese
should feel at home and free to express his opinions without any form
or harassment and/or intimidation. Khartoum should accept people for
who they are and shallow their ideas as they state and should be
willing to reach fair concessions if they are sincere in wanting true
peace, prosperity, sustainable development and unity to flow in Sudan.
Failure to do so will mean Sudan will never be the same again because
Darfur will demand the right of self-determination and South Kordorfan
and South Blue Nile will follow suit should they fail to unseat the
government in Khartoum.
Sudan has to accept a constitutional amendment that defines the
difference between state and religion and that sees the two as
complementary to one another. Sudan should abandon this crazy idea
that every citizen should be Arab and accept the diversity of Sudanese
people. The diverse cultures that form the Sudan are what will make
Sudan a strong, united, prosperous and a respectable country. Limiting
people of North Sudan to Arab culture and Islam cannot take Sudanese
people anywhere. The marginalised people of North Sudan please tell
your Arab rulers in Khartoum that cultural, racial, ethnic and
religious pluralism is much bigger than the country being just for
Arabs or Muslims.
Peter Kleto is a member of the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement in
Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He can be reached at [email protected]
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