(Name withheld)
South Sudan has drawn an international attention because of the week-long referendum now underway in that part of the country. The struggle of the people of South Sudan under the leadership of The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), the political wing, and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), the military wing, began three decades ago. It resulted, however, in the death and displacement of millions southern Sudanese. The war had been dubbed by the international media as as a war between the Muslim North and the Christian South.
Indeed it was. However, besides its tinged color of religion, the people of South Sudan had remained one of the most oppressed peoples on our planet. They had been called slaves by the Northerners. They had no share in the political, economic, social and cultural life of the country. Their representation in the government was nominal. In the 1990s, there was a nominal vice president, a state minister in the foreign ministry, and a few diplomats.
During my stay in Sudan for four years, I had never seen a South Sudanese who had a small enterprise, even a shop in the capital city Khartoum. What I saw instead were house maids, guards, and gardeners in the affluent residencies of Northern Sudanese. Observing such a reality, a senior from South Sudan once remarked: “Every Northerner has a dog and a maid or servant from South Sudan.” He equated his people with dogs. Indeed the people of South Sudan were the wretched of the Earth, the miserable.
In my visit to 10 countries, I had never seen people oppressed to such a low degree as the people of South Sudan and North Korea. It needs no telling that the kind of oppression that the people of North Korea are subjected to. Besides the grinding poverty they wallow in, they are under complete control of the Communist regime. They are deprived of any form of right. They live under gun point discipline. The only difference between the two people is that the Koreans live in a developed infrastructure, the South Sudanese in agrarian country at its lowest level of development.
John Garang and Salva Kirr
I saw the late SPLM leader Colonel John Garang in an international airport in the 1990s. He sat alone in a comfortable sofa in the VIP lounge escorted by long and burly body guards. Fully equipped with sophisticated arms, the body guards watchfully scan the people in the lounge. Garang was sober, quiet and seemed to contemplate on his future plan — the guerrilla warfare in South Sudan. The bearded guerrilla leader had a furious look. As soon as a civilian passenger aircraft had arrived and dropped off the passengers, Garang with his guards boarded the plane to Nairobi where he resided.
Dr. Garang was a senior officer in the Sudanese army. He defected from the military and began to head the tortuous struggle to its logical conclusion — the referendum that enables Southerners to decide on their destiny. Unfortunately Dr. Garang has not lived to see it. He died in a mysterious helicopter crash on the common border of Uganda and Sudan upon his return from working visit to Uganda. He was vice president of Sudan for a very short period of time.
I saw Salva Kiir, presently Vice President of Sudan, in Nairobi two times. He was then called “Commander.” He was delegated by Garang to lead the delegation of the SPLM in the negotiation with the delegation of the government. Salva Kiir logically argued his position, the position of the SPLM during the negotiation. Right from the outset he hammered out referendum. The two negotiations held in Nairobi were unsuccessful. Salva Kiir and Co. went straight ahead to the bushes of South Sudan to continue their armed struggle. It was later on that they reached a conclusive agreement — vote on Referendum. Now after 17 years their dream has come true. Southern Sudanese are exhilarated and are casting their ballots. They are eagerly waiting for the result to be revealed at the end of the ballots.
South Sudan has a size equal to France. It has a fine weather, fertile land and oil. Its population is 4 million with three main ethnic groups, Dinka being the main one. Garang was from Dinka ethnic group. Provided that they have good governance, the people of South Sudan can develop and prosper.
What about Federation?
To sum up, I don’t in principle, support secession or separation of a part of a country. At the same time, I strongly oppose oppression from within or outside. The net result will be equality in all walks of life. In the absence of equality, there is the presence of oppression — then struggle not for few years but even decades like Southern Sudanese. Here I would like to present my humble proposal that the Horn of Africa countries should, sooner than later, embark on loose FEDERATION. This mechanism will help them to avoid war, to muster and accelerate economic, social and cultural development. Al Bashir’s dictatorial regime should stop instigating a new war in South Sudan. He is already an indicted war criminal because of his barbaric actions in South Sudan and the Darfur state.
11 thoughts on “Observations of a former diplomat on Sudan referendum”
Elias – I wish you change your site’s image by posting only well articulated articles like this one from now onwards.
Let God bless Africa
Kewle
Federalism is a good thing. Why would Obama see disintegration of Africa into small states? It is a sad story and is against millenium goals od 2020 when poverty needs to be cut in half. But small states rather than economic cooperation like EU will be against development. We need more unions and not disunions. Otherwise, Obama will be the first American President to have approved and contributed to the death of that continent. Is this what he wants??
Sad thing for Africa.
Why is the former diplomat’s name withheld unless he or she is TPLF member who were at the forefront advocating for Eritrea’s Secession. TPLF vampires even sacrificed tens of thousands of their fighters for the Secession of Eritrea.
Then Eritreans were treated equally even a lot of them who were living all over Ethiopia were better off working and leading luxurious lives. For Eritreans to secede they killed let their comrades- in-arms die.
But when it comes to Southern Sudanese who are being treated like dogs, as witnesssed by the author of the article, why are the Southern Sudanese people are told not to secede?
I am not saying the advice is good or bad what I am saying is at this critical moment let the people of South Sudan decide their own fate.
Then all the former diplomat could do is accept the decision of the people of Southern Sudan whether he or she likes it or not.
Let them have their independence. They deserve it and can afford it to live a prosperous life. South Sudan is a big country with resources that can sustain its population. The hell with federalism. It is a parasitic concept espoused by weak tiny countries who are seeking for a host foolish enough to allow them to take a dip into its pie without bringing anything to the table.
Long Live Independent South Sudan.
To Gragn Ahmed says:
It is nice to see you post sobber comments like this one for a change. Obama doesn’t really want the disintegration of Sudan rather the eqaulity of the southern and the northern people. I have worked and lived in Juba, Kurdufan province all the way to Delign, Nyala and El Fashir(Darfur). I can tell you that those who look like me, the typical Sudanese while some of them are the nicest people in the world, most of them treat the southerners like a real time slave or a dirt. It is embarrassing to see them being treated like that. I have never seen any one being treated like that other than in the movie ROOTS. I can’t say any thing about unity, federation, independence etc… I am not a Sudanese; therefore, I will refrain from commenting but I would like to tell you what I witnessed. Don’t blame Obama. Blame the whole situation. Millions have died in that that cursed land. Thousands of children were stolen into slavey during the war. Did you hear or read about the Pulitzer winner photographer who committed suicide as a result of a picture he took in South Sudan. Find out that is your home work.
Referendum for many who are under dictatorial regimes is one way of resolving long, bitter disputes that exists in many poor nations. One of this poor country that have effectively smothered the outcries many indigineous nationalities is our own Ethiopia.
As a matter of fact, Ethiopia’s bloody rulers are getting away with genocides from generation to another. Infact, speaking of Ethiopia, no credible rule of law exists in current Ethiopia.
We ask, our own citizens, to come out from closet, and advocate for referrundum for majority nationalities, that make up Ethiopia.
Brutalizations, outwrite robberies, mass murderings, modern slaveries within including exporting slaves have evolved in Ethiopia to this date. Why? because we all dream of the day we manage to a palace, where we become, prime whatever, or king so, where we rule Ethiopia with IRON FISTS, and enslave others, rob, sale, exploit our countrymen, assimilate others into our own language, to fit our images.
Ethiopians continue to bleed to this day, to eat one bread a day, suffer all forms of degrading racisms, ethenic violences, dominations, strifes, being chased out of their ancestorial lans.
Referendum for those who have long held grievances must come now!
Tezibt,
You are hypocritical. I know that Sudan is the most hospitable place for even immigrants. So, I doubt your whole story. Any ways, I can not say anything about how they are treated. But this is something that can be healed. Are we Ethiopian muslims not treated as shemane,kutit betach, shiret lebash, never had any role in national politics but still fought hard and passed all the obstacles and still kept our dignity? Is that due to the help from coptics? NO no help from any copt. We rather helped alot of copts out of poverty.
Obama is being pushed by evangelicals to disintegrate Africa using religion as a means. Are not Sudan in the south planning a pipe to the Kenyan border? What this tell you about these people?
How many universities are in the north of Ethiopia and how many on the south?
This religion divide will never get us anywhere. I am for unity of East Africa. But South Sudan is not the only who are discriminated against religion. Muslims of uganda and Kenya are also descriminated. Look at what Kenya is doing for Muslim oromos in the area of Borena. AFrican economic unity will be a dream if we are not fighting for equality of all. However, you may lable me as a terrorist for saying the truth I can read from your comments based on my previous posts.
One Sudan.
Giragn, I doubt if you are ethiopian, cos despite some of the derogatory gossips you have used to justify your story about Moslims in ethiopia being mistreated the truth is ethiopian Muslims are the most dignified and respected part of ethiopnian society. in fact they strike me the most nationalist ethiopians than any other Ethiiopians. by the way, as you claimed Islam is not restricted to the south and it is not an ethnic affliation in ethiopia. there are many Amhara and Tigrian Muslims who are enjoying the privilege of ruling Ethiopia. so don’t mix religion with poetics to peruse your twisted agenda..the fact that you use Gragn Ahmed a murderer who killed and destroyed every thing christian as a role model itself shows you are a sick person with an intent to hate and harm. you can only be Shabia in that sense.
Don’t be coward abdukadir. Let me tell you how to spell your name: Abdulkadir. You are neither a muslim nor a christian. Stop insulting me. I got a choice to which nick name I use.
Gragn was an African hero.
Tezibt,did you go to Ogaden and took a look at how woyanne army that calls itself the Ethiopian army treat the civilians in Ogaden?You will find that the Sudannese are by nature more humane and more peaceful than the TPLF and their leader Meles.There are millions of southerns and Darfurian in Khartum but you can not find a single Ogadenis in Makale,Adwa,Shire, Axum…
I believe that every country should stay together as well as freedom.
Africa in general will never have leaders that allow full freedom. In the case of Southern Sudan, it is true… they are have been mistreated for many years.
This is doesn’t mean that they should go their separate way… take the example of Eritrea… they separated and now they are facing miserable living situations…
United Africa, United Sudan!