|
Rushing or NOT, the CPA
ends in 2011, IGAD reiterates!
By: Justin Ambago
Ramba, MD.
MAR 14/2010, SSN;
The comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) that brought a halt to the
north/south two decades of civil war is already through a five years of
a very difficult journey. The agreement is one of the few documents
that have stood its ground in Sudan’s politics where much is said than
done. And for the Inter Government (IGAD) to at last hold its first
conference to assess the implementation of the CPA was a sign that,
whatever was the reason for the five years silence from this regional
body, it still remains keen on the progress in the Sudan.
IGAD can still pride
itself for its indispensable role in the midwifery of the truce five
years ago. This peace agreement have no doubt stopped the two decades
civil war between the south and the north of the Sudan, although of
course the real situation in south Sudan still remain far from being
peaceful.
The CPA continues to
be our road map out of the thickets and as Mr. Salva Kiir Mayardit some
two years ago put it, “the CPA is staggering like a drunken person but
it is still holding”. And because the two partners differ very much on
their approach to the implementation of the truce, everything so far
done has been through a lot of hand twisting and feet dragging
especially so from the northern NCP of president al Bashir. But was
anyone ever expecting any better deal with the Arabs?
On several occasions
in the past, the IGAD was expected to come in order to save the
agreement, unfortunately it was only the US administration that got the
credit for their timely interventions which helped the partners to
continue holding to the agreement.
The African Union
which right now has much on its plate is another regional organisation
that is constantly struggling in its management of the continent’s
endless list of problems. IGAD on the same level is not any better than
the mother organisation in as far as tackling problems within its member
countries. This is so because the way the African borders were drawn by
the colonialists leaves no country free of the problems associated with
inter ethnic conflicts. Even our immediate neighbours have failed to
address the grievances of their various ethnic communities, which in
some cases tend to extend across the national borders.
The situation in the
Sudan can be simplified as a conflict between Arab Muslim north against
Christian & animist south. To the southerners the best solution lies in
having their own separate country which they can rule using a secular
constitution. However since other countries in the continent do also
experience similar but not exactly the same type of inter-racial and
inter-religious problems, most of them are not in approval of south
Sudan opting for a self determination.
We have neighbours who
are scared to death by the mere mention of redrawing colonial borders,
which in our case may rightly be the ideal solution to the chronic
south/north problems of the Sudan. However for the fact that many parts
of Africa are also homes to such artificial union states with one ethnic
group dominating over the others, many other secessionist groups
elsewhere in the continent are perceived to choose to go Sudan’s way
should the south be allowed to secede.
The Sudan was in war
with itself for the last five decades or so, a situation that makes it
different from the other countries; there is a real need to look at this
particular problem with much of an open mind. Situations as they
currently existing in the Sudan today warrant the consideration of all
existing options; otherwise what would be the point of forcing a unity
in a country when that unity can only promote endless wars, hatred and
human misery?
People of various
nationalities and religions across the world welcomed the CPA for the
fact that it brought to a halt a bloodbath that operated for over two
decades with two million lives lost. However there were crucial points
in the CPA, of which the right of the south to self determination is the
most prominent, that made it possible for the two warring sides to agree
on the document. But for fairness sake it must be accepted without any
partiality that all the rest of the concessions done were entirely at
the expense of the southerners themselves.
The wealth sharing
protocol was agreed to share south’s Oil revenues with the north at
50/50, while the south has no any rights on any of the several revenues
generated in the north including their natural resources. This protocol
says it all and injustice remains to stare us all in the face,
especially so when it is now apparent that the north has cheating with
Oil revenue figures for the whole of the past five years.
Secondly the
southerners were made to accept to be under the Islamic Sharia Law while
they serve in the national capital of the country, a must they had to
abide with in order to carry out their duties in the government of
national unity based in Khartoum the capital. And of course this can go
on forever or ever get worse should the country continue to remain
united.
Moreover in the
IGAD’s first ever CPA evaluation conference, it became apparent that
some of the speakers were more keen to express what has become known as
their country’s official position, by continuing to preach what they
call, ‘ the dangers of rushing the independence of south Sudan’. This
very statement is in fact in breach of both the spirit and the wordings
of the CPA itself.
This agreement as was
signed five years ago, had as its central point the making of the unity
of the Sudan attractive, whereas down inside, everyone else knows that
given a chance at the referendum the south Sudanese will more than
likely vote for independence. Yet that was the only way that an
agreement would have been reached and as for now we are all required to
abide by it, regardless of whether some people had hidden agendas at the
time of signing.
However things were never all that smooth and in a direct response to
the increasing regional pressure from countries like Egypt and Eritrea
that the self determination process be placed on hold as the situation
in the south is unstable, Sudan’s First Vice President and the President
of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit made a clear statement on the issue
at the IGAD meeting, when he stressed that everything should go as
originally planned in the peace accord.
“The conduct of the elections is not a pre-requisite to the conduct of
the referendum,” Kiir said.
“The people of southern Sudan attach more importance to the referendum
than the elections. For them the right of self-determination is one of
their biggest political achievements in the CPA and they will defend it
at any cost,” he added.
“I ardently appeal to you all that the CPA is fully implemented and as
per its timetable. I urge you all to recognize and respect the choice of
the people of southern Sudan during the 2011 referendum," he said.
Though Kiir is a hundred percent right in calling for the full and
timely implementation of the CPA, it is not true that people of
south Sudan are giving less importance to the holding of the elections
and starting the democratic transformation.
South Sudan cannot afford to become another Eritrea or Zimbabwe and the
way forward is only through the establishment of a democratically
elected government thus initiating fair democratic traditions and
creditable institutions that are all necessary for a good governance and
rapid development for this war ravaged region. And as such there is no
way that any group of non elected politicians can continue to wrongly
assume public offices while our people have made it clear that they
cannot be ruled against their wishes. The people are also aware of the
fact that there is a need for huge changes that must be immediately
accomplished lest we be forced into starting with a failed state right
from day one of Independence.
On the other hand President al Bashir who now follows a strict
travelling regime following the ICC arrest warrant against him for
his roles in crimes committed in Darfur was represented at the IGAD, by
the second Vice President Ali Osman Taha who reiterated his party’s
(NCP) position for abiding with the CPA.
"While we re-affirm our unequivocal commitment to respect the choice of
the people of southern Sudan, we clearly state that our vision and hope
that unity of Sudan will be the free choice and outcome of the
referendum," said Taha.
Whatever were the
initial positions of the various members at the meeting, it emerged as
very encouraging development that the IGAD ended the meeting by
reiterating its commitment to the CPA and vowed to assist the two
Sudanese sides in implementing the remaining articles.
The IGAD released a
communiqué on the 9th March 2010, that amongst many other
things, Urges the Parties to the CPA to
remain committed to the implementation of outstanding issues in the
Agreement, in particular, completion of the North-South and Abyei border
demarcations, redeployment of forces, integration of the Joint
Integrated Units (JIUs), establishment of the Southern Sudan and Abyei
Referenda Commissions and Popular Consultations in South Kordofan and
Blue Nile States; it also Urge
the Government of the Sudan and the Parties to ensure
the removal of all obstacles to a free and fair election.
And to make sure
that we are going forwards the IGAD has resolved to direct
the its Council of Ministers to liaise with the two
Parties to give technical support in the remaining areas of border
demarcation and establishment of the referenda commissions by May 2010;
it also calls upon
the two parties to develop a working formula that
would ensure collaboration for the effective implementation of the CPA;
Of great interest
is IGAD’s stress to welcome the Parties commitment to immediately
commence the negotiations on post referendum arrangements and confirm
the continuing availability of IGAD to support the process; as it also
directs the IGAD Council of Ministers to immediately undertake shuttle
diplomacy to nurture mutual trust and confidence building between the
two Parties to the CPA;
Obviously as we are
only left with a limited time, we also welcome the move to
direct the IGAD Secretariat to immediately
open a Liaison Office in Juba to follow up the implementation of the
CPA. This very important bit in the
implementation of agreement should have in fact been realised earlier
which could have saved much in the way of timely interventions to help
the two partners in their tenacious journey. However how good things
are, all still boils down to the political wills of the sides involved
and this IGAD Liaison Office in Juba, though late is still better than
never.
We also believe
that this regional organisation is bent to benefit by getting more
involved in the remaining steps left in the implementation of the CPA.
As such its decision to direct the IGAD
Secretariat to operationalise the invitation to observe the April
2010 general elections in the Sudan and requesting the observer team to
take their posts by end of March2010 is indeed a value for the huge
money being spent on the organisation.
Finally this brings us
to the conclusion that there is no way that south Sudanese can run away
from facing their joint responsibilities towards the realizations of
their peoples’ five decades of struggle. The long held dream is becoming
a reality and like all realities they call for responsible people who
can put down the policies that can translate every cry of need and want
into a working plan. And it is only through democracy that the right
leaders can be chosen and mandated.
Freedom is
never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the
oppressed.
King Jr. Martin
Luther
Dr. Justin
Ambago Ramba, M.B, B. Ch, D.R.H, MD. The Secretary General of the United
South Sudan Party (USSP). The Party that stands for the Independence of
South Sudan. He can be reached at either justinramba@doctors.org.uk or
justinramba@aol.co.uk. All the articles of the author are available at
www.nilebuffalo.com
and
blog http / / ussp-news.blogspot.com
COMMENTS, PLEASE CLICK HERE
Disclaimer:
Disclaimer: The views expressed
above are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the
website. |