8 November 2009
editorial
THE growing disenchantment with the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) portends grave danger for the unity of Sudan, unless the situation is quickly redressed.
Penultimate week, Salva Kiir Magardt, President of the Autonomous Government of Southern Sudan, called on his people to vote for secession in an upcoming referendum if they do not want to end up as second class citizens. The call came as voter registration began for elections across the country.
"When you reach your ballot boxes, the choice is yours: You want to vote for unity so that you become a second class in your own country, that is your choice. If you want to vote for independence so that you are a free person in your independent state, that will be your own choice and we will respect the choice of the people," Kiir, who also doubles as Sudanese Vice-President, told worshippers at the cathedral in the Southern capital of Juba.
Not unexpectedly, Kiir's first-ever call for the mostly Christian, oil-rich south to split off from the Muslim north has continued to generate tension in the country. There are also fears that it could further strain the fragile 2005 people's agreement that ended the more than two decades-long north-south civil war which claimed over two million lives.
While southern Sudanese leaders have accused the central government of never making unity an attractive option for southerners and of failing to fully implement the peace agreement, Khartoum has described Kiir's call as seditious. It also accused the south of undermining the peace agreement. The CPA that set up a national unity government and established an autonomous south, also stipulated the holding of a full referendum to determine the future of the south. The agreement also calls for all Sudanese parties to work for unity prior to the referendum. Presidential and parliamentary elections are to be held across the country in April 2010. Also to be elected are state governors.
Unfortunately, the partnership has been plagued with mutual mistrust between the former rivals. Preparations for the elections and referendum have been delayed by disagreement between the north and south on laws governing the two votes. Other unresolved issues include a row over the results of a recent national census aimed at drawing up electoral constituencies, balking on demarcation of the oil-rich border region between the north and the south, and the insistence of the southern Sudanese on information on the whereabouts of the $7 billion in oil revenue that has been made since the signing of the 2005 peace agreement.
It is regrettable that despite all efforts by the United Nations and several other international initiatives to ensure an enduring reconciliation based on justice, fairness and equality, genuine peace and mutual respect seem a long way off in Sudan. No one doubts that the country would be better off as a single, united, indivisible entity, but the necessary conditions for such a sustainable arrangement must be in place.
Given the growing resentment in the south, everything possible must be done by all parties to keep interest in the peace agreement alive, and to avoid a return to the trenches with its grim implications. Fortunately, Kiir was quick to admit that all hope was not yet lost in Sudan remaining a unified state. It is only natural to abhor a situation where one's rights and dignity do not matter, or can be trampled upon with impunity by the state. Every Sudanese, irrespective of religion and ethnic background, must be given a sense of belonging.
In the interest of peace and unity, the CPA-willingly entered into by both parties-must be implemented to the letter. Besides, there must be radical changes to Sudanese laws--currently governed by the Islamic Sharia codes--and the Sudanese judiciary, regarded as subordinate to the regime of al-Bashir. A judicial system that fails to take into cognizance the religious, cultural and social diversities of such a vast country as Sudan, can only attract unrest and even social upheaval.
We urge both parties to keep the lines of communication open as they amicably and promptly address issues that are likely to arise from the implementation of the peace agreement. The north-south issue is separate from Sudan's other ongoing conflict, a rebellion in the arid western region of Darfur. President al-Bashir can do without a return of hostilities in Southern Sudan. He should demonstrate good faith in the peace agreement and be transparent in his dealings with Southern Sudan.
On the other hand, Southern Sudanese leaders must avoid comments and actions that are likely to further raise tensions in the country. The choice of opting for unity with Sudan or outright independence, should, we insist, be left to the people.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 Daily Champion. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
