By Atok Dan Baguoot
It would be hard to judge what exactly SPLM is all about after it strenuously negotiated peace with NCP and still stood alongside its implementation with tough and soften tones of achieving the so called freedom of the oppressed held with clenched iron hands by oppressors. Further up the corridors of history, Sudanese have been oppressed by both outsiders and insiders and that should have been the reason why century wars were and are fought up to date.
In deciding our destiny in this country, several generations went to conflicts as a matter of addressing these curses levied upon peace loving Sudanese, but with a lot of futile attempts until the last and ultimate wave in the name of so called Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM) was born as a mass movement whose social base and numerical strengths were found within areas inhibited by those disgruntled by successive regimes in Khartoum.
SPLM was scrutinized and found to be most appropriate, functional and logical in its political viewpoint and argument based on its wider scope of handling this huge monster in Khartoum which has almost defeated the Sudanese people in their quest for a just, fair and equitable distribution of resources among the Sudanese in regard to their geographical whereabouts.
We called that as a wave of struggle of attaining one thing, but God given us freedom which had been denied to the Sudanese people. Thus, SPLM was jovially accepted as the right remedy by all classes of people in the Country with the exception of Arab northern part of the country where it was seen as usual madness made by Southerners as Arabs normally termed any unrest within the South. For any liberation struggle, it has to have its head and founders before it could become everyone affair or entity and SPLM had no exception. Late Dr. John Garang De Mabior (RIP) headed the Movement for two decades until his sudden death which came after he had signed a peace deal with Khartoum, bringing to an end the longest civil war on the continent.
In his peace speech, Late Garang said that the peace we are signing today will change Sudan forever and Sudan will never be the same again. Indeed, Sudan is undergoing winds of change and these are signified by April elections, peace negotiations in Darfur besides the awaiting referendum for the South and popular consultations for the people of Southern Blue Nile and South Kordofan.
With referendum, it is still some few kilometers away from us but what next door now is the election in which the country is gripped by its fever and flu especially among the political class whose fames are under severe and regular test. Leaders’ determined political future of a country, hence, when you find a confused nation/state like Sudan, it is attributed to poor leadership, and however, not all leaders are always confused in such a situation. There could be few who would wish to deliver though they can be denied access by their rivals.
In Short, I would like us to have a look at Salva Kiir Mayardit whose fate of the South is in hands according to Southern Sudanese as far now. Salva Kiir could be a rare breed of a politician who spent most of his life fighting for the freedom of oppressed. Hence, until now, you can not imagine that Kiir still owes the South a blick future for their children because he is the only one among his colleagues whom they founded the SPLM and whose millions lives were lost for what they thought to be rightful for their people.
Comparatively, it is like when United States of America (U.S. A) Went to polls in 2004 voting for whom to end wars in Middle East of which Iraq and Afghanistan are on topped list. The rift was between Republican President George W. Bush and Democratic competent candidate John Kerry. American voted for Bush because he was the one who initiated that war and they would be able to ask him what happened to their sons and daughters in the cold Arabian deserts.
Likewise here, Dr. Lam Akol could be seen as more competent compared to Salva Kiir but how will he answer our questions based on how our beloving sons and daughters lost their life in the last twenty years of war, yet he didn’t initiate it.
Let us vote for Salva Kiir so that he can answers our questions based on any aspects like lack of development yet our dear children and parents have sacrificed their precious bloods.
We will be able to hold him accountable in case he tends to do his personal things before he could take care of us.
Vote for him so that he can takes good care of our referendum whom they drafted so that we will be able to ask him in case it proves difficult because he is the only architect of the decision that let to demise of our citizens. Apart from that there is no way we can let SPLM rest in the dustbin of history before it could accomplish its mission of liberating the marginalized masses. Otherwise, SPLM will continue making noise with excuse of being short changed yet they would have done much if given time to put to an end their mission and to know the actual content of their store, let them take us to referendum or their store would always be full of promises that are never fulfilled.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio & TV and can be reached at atokfuture@gmail.com or spccsn@gmail.com . www.atokdan.blogspot.com
Friday, April 9, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Let’s your vote not throttle the CPA
By Atok Dan
7th April. As the polls are next door, the major stumbling block amongst our political class is who to consult on what account so that immediate impact is created in the outcome of the polls. Politicians are not sleeping anymore because any inch of time that passes without proper account is deemed as loss of violable votes without knowing that voters themselves are too mobile to be trusted. War of heart beat and has tormented their chests-broken with mountains of wishes that if I knew I would have moved Tokyo overnight to my village in order to lure voters alongside my favour.
Awes and fears of losing in the elections have frightened both electorates and candidates especially among those whom power is the sole source of daily bread to the extent that whiz of blowing wind sounds to them likes a call for consensus in their fractured ears. Alas, time has come for the kingmakers to play their vital roles in adorning kings and queens for this rare feast hence, give in and out would be treated like nightmares or day dreaming whose circumstantial victims are yesterday’s beneficiaries whereas, the joyous parties are the usual kingmakers who had assumed the position of nocturnal creatures for so long.
Yap, time has drawn too closer to even leap behind but no way out, we are in for it so better tune your senses to the nucleus in order to salvage from the spilt milk or you render it go for those courageous human beings whose power has infested their physiological senses as part of normalcy.
It is intercepted from a reliable source that NCP has started clearing way bills for those voters distanced from Juba in exchange of votes and the associated repercussion would be that your democratic right will later emerged as something compromised at along conflicting loyalty of future and current short needs whereas, the immediate victims are the masses including you who have dared to pocketed blood money. Better live an honest live, a just and a free live than living wealthy while in absolute slavery. The choice of this simple equation is always personal. If there is something God has given freely and unconditionally, it is the choice between good and bad. There you are.
As the holder of a national treasury, none regrettable accounts for that matter is provided to cater and to iron down those few grey areas of rigidity in favour of NCP candidates and the target is you who stand firm in protecting your rights and rights of oppressed in the South, Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains. People prefer calling it bribery. In such a dreadful situation, monetary policy of accounting is compromised in the sense that neither accountability nor transparency outlining how such an amount of money was utilized remains unquestionable. Don’t mine that is how life is and there is never smooth road so long money exists.
Secondly, billions of Sudanese Pound is in circulation, spotting areas of soft and wicked and weak target to heal and mend those broken twists while rejuvenating and reinforcing their faded relationship for the sake of winning these elections as well as referendum to come.
The issue is neither sovereignty nor patriotism as they always emphasis in any public gathering but truth of the matter is that if we tell our pink albino brothers in the north that green mountains of Kimatong and Imatong plus fertile valleys of Renk and Aweil in addition to honey dark soil of Bentiu are yours, the whole of century rifts or bone of contention can just come to end overnight but without that impossible agreement, never relax and begin saying that North South boundary demarcation will happen on silver platter leave alone referendum to rest in its cage.
Because of this geographical misfortunate, continental drift remains the cause of all these resourced competitive problems between the Arabs and the black African because if the lands in northern Sudan had not sunk it bed turning the whole brown movable soil on top, Arabs would have settled without eyeing covetously on their Southern brothers’ lands. Although I don’t think if semi-nomadic Nilotic tribes would have left that land since it was the first soil they stepped upon when they first appeared in Sudan. Places like Khartoum, Shendi and Gezira Tut among others were grazing areas occupied by Dinka, Shilluk and Nuer before they could move Southward in search for greener environment.
My argument is substantiated by the fact that during the discovery of oil in Bentiu mid 1970s, and the launching of lucrative Aweil rice scheme, besides Renk plantations and that of Raja, a move was made by former president Gaffer Mohammed Nimeiry to annexed these resourceful areas to north but with stiff resistance among the Southern politicians and behind them their masses, the proposal died silently on presidential table without reaching the public scene. This actually relieve me from being seen as naïve and justifies the Arabs reasons for long quest to conquer the South on selfish account of lands and other subterranean resources like oil and gold along Boma and Kapoeta hills.
When one sees NCP renowned professors of lies preaching patriotism and lips singing slogan as in defend of this nation, behind it is always to fit into survival tactics and if they don’t do it openly in the name of Allah Akbar, a gap of doubt always exist prompting supposedly questions among their mental fixed populaces in the north. South Sudan was immunized against it long time ago so they find it hard to regurgitate their lies freely without being questions.
Thirdly, it is only in these historical elections according to world media that we are able to change that fixed procedural thinking in the minds of most northern Sudanese especially among the so called Arab descendants by turning out in large numbers and vote wholeheartedly without leniency or compromising that those of so and so will do the voting while me doing some other extra chores in my house. Remember that it is once and for all in this time allotted.
Remember that you are duty bound to turn up and participate in this exercise if there is something that God had kept you for up to this crucial moment. Your vote counts and your presence to observe and monitor those malpractices around polling centre is your free duty as a loyal citizen of the land. John F Kennedy said never ask for what this country can do for you but ask for what you can do to this country, therefore, it is our collective responsibility to cast our votes and not that only but wait until you see that your vote is counted without ambiguity.
Fourthly, it is your citizenry duty to be watchful around the polling centres to see that prophets of dooms and nocturnal human beings don’t meander around with their bloodiest money to bribe those weak hearted colleagues and undecided voters against the cause of the South. Remember that SPLM is not participating in elections in the north so voting NCP proxies here would amount to surrendering of your rights in either way which will throttle the referendum the only hope you were waiting all along.
Fifthly and final, your next voluntary responsibility is to let your eagle eyes on them they would cause violence in favour of their ill messenger to let the South back into sufferings where they are always appear as distanced tourists and only staring at flam when the South is on fire under the hands of their stooges and Southern defenders and beyond these the rest are egos because you are a complete human who has the definition of who you are meant for.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio & TV and can be reached at atokfuture@gmail.com, 0917221411 or visit www.atokdan.blogspot.com to read his writings on daily situation in Sudan.
7th April. As the polls are next door, the major stumbling block amongst our political class is who to consult on what account so that immediate impact is created in the outcome of the polls. Politicians are not sleeping anymore because any inch of time that passes without proper account is deemed as loss of violable votes without knowing that voters themselves are too mobile to be trusted. War of heart beat and has tormented their chests-broken with mountains of wishes that if I knew I would have moved Tokyo overnight to my village in order to lure voters alongside my favour.
Awes and fears of losing in the elections have frightened both electorates and candidates especially among those whom power is the sole source of daily bread to the extent that whiz of blowing wind sounds to them likes a call for consensus in their fractured ears. Alas, time has come for the kingmakers to play their vital roles in adorning kings and queens for this rare feast hence, give in and out would be treated like nightmares or day dreaming whose circumstantial victims are yesterday’s beneficiaries whereas, the joyous parties are the usual kingmakers who had assumed the position of nocturnal creatures for so long.
Yap, time has drawn too closer to even leap behind but no way out, we are in for it so better tune your senses to the nucleus in order to salvage from the spilt milk or you render it go for those courageous human beings whose power has infested their physiological senses as part of normalcy.
It is intercepted from a reliable source that NCP has started clearing way bills for those voters distanced from Juba in exchange of votes and the associated repercussion would be that your democratic right will later emerged as something compromised at along conflicting loyalty of future and current short needs whereas, the immediate victims are the masses including you who have dared to pocketed blood money. Better live an honest live, a just and a free live than living wealthy while in absolute slavery. The choice of this simple equation is always personal. If there is something God has given freely and unconditionally, it is the choice between good and bad. There you are.
As the holder of a national treasury, none regrettable accounts for that matter is provided to cater and to iron down those few grey areas of rigidity in favour of NCP candidates and the target is you who stand firm in protecting your rights and rights of oppressed in the South, Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains. People prefer calling it bribery. In such a dreadful situation, monetary policy of accounting is compromised in the sense that neither accountability nor transparency outlining how such an amount of money was utilized remains unquestionable. Don’t mine that is how life is and there is never smooth road so long money exists.
Secondly, billions of Sudanese Pound is in circulation, spotting areas of soft and wicked and weak target to heal and mend those broken twists while rejuvenating and reinforcing their faded relationship for the sake of winning these elections as well as referendum to come.
The issue is neither sovereignty nor patriotism as they always emphasis in any public gathering but truth of the matter is that if we tell our pink albino brothers in the north that green mountains of Kimatong and Imatong plus fertile valleys of Renk and Aweil in addition to honey dark soil of Bentiu are yours, the whole of century rifts or bone of contention can just come to end overnight but without that impossible agreement, never relax and begin saying that North South boundary demarcation will happen on silver platter leave alone referendum to rest in its cage.
Because of this geographical misfortunate, continental drift remains the cause of all these resourced competitive problems between the Arabs and the black African because if the lands in northern Sudan had not sunk it bed turning the whole brown movable soil on top, Arabs would have settled without eyeing covetously on their Southern brothers’ lands. Although I don’t think if semi-nomadic Nilotic tribes would have left that land since it was the first soil they stepped upon when they first appeared in Sudan. Places like Khartoum, Shendi and Gezira Tut among others were grazing areas occupied by Dinka, Shilluk and Nuer before they could move Southward in search for greener environment.
My argument is substantiated by the fact that during the discovery of oil in Bentiu mid 1970s, and the launching of lucrative Aweil rice scheme, besides Renk plantations and that of Raja, a move was made by former president Gaffer Mohammed Nimeiry to annexed these resourceful areas to north but with stiff resistance among the Southern politicians and behind them their masses, the proposal died silently on presidential table without reaching the public scene. This actually relieve me from being seen as naïve and justifies the Arabs reasons for long quest to conquer the South on selfish account of lands and other subterranean resources like oil and gold along Boma and Kapoeta hills.
When one sees NCP renowned professors of lies preaching patriotism and lips singing slogan as in defend of this nation, behind it is always to fit into survival tactics and if they don’t do it openly in the name of Allah Akbar, a gap of doubt always exist prompting supposedly questions among their mental fixed populaces in the north. South Sudan was immunized against it long time ago so they find it hard to regurgitate their lies freely without being questions.
Thirdly, it is only in these historical elections according to world media that we are able to change that fixed procedural thinking in the minds of most northern Sudanese especially among the so called Arab descendants by turning out in large numbers and vote wholeheartedly without leniency or compromising that those of so and so will do the voting while me doing some other extra chores in my house. Remember that it is once and for all in this time allotted.
Remember that you are duty bound to turn up and participate in this exercise if there is something that God had kept you for up to this crucial moment. Your vote counts and your presence to observe and monitor those malpractices around polling centre is your free duty as a loyal citizen of the land. John F Kennedy said never ask for what this country can do for you but ask for what you can do to this country, therefore, it is our collective responsibility to cast our votes and not that only but wait until you see that your vote is counted without ambiguity.
Fourthly, it is your citizenry duty to be watchful around the polling centres to see that prophets of dooms and nocturnal human beings don’t meander around with their bloodiest money to bribe those weak hearted colleagues and undecided voters against the cause of the South. Remember that SPLM is not participating in elections in the north so voting NCP proxies here would amount to surrendering of your rights in either way which will throttle the referendum the only hope you were waiting all along.
Fifthly and final, your next voluntary responsibility is to let your eagle eyes on them they would cause violence in favour of their ill messenger to let the South back into sufferings where they are always appear as distanced tourists and only staring at flam when the South is on fire under the hands of their stooges and Southern defenders and beyond these the rest are egos because you are a complete human who has the definition of who you are meant for.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio & TV and can be reached at atokfuture@gmail.com, 0917221411 or visit www.atokdan.blogspot.com to read his writings on daily situation in Sudan.
Where are the SPLA veterans?
By Atok Dan
“A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people,” John F. Kennedy.
There is always a need to travel thousand miles beyond our simple perceptions and to meditate beyond our seeing in order to discover somewhere, where our objectives of the revolution went missing and to rediscover why we are so naïve and myopic to the course of our struggles as a nation endowed with greatness not discovered. In this defining moment, there is a need for massive support for our government whenever possible and there is need for massive uprising to up root all possible sources which contravene with original objectives of the Movement we wholeheartedly nursed during those nasty and nostalgic hours of isolation and boredom. And there is a need to redefine ourselves in this trying moment in order to rejuvenate our worn-out ideas for the sake of generation and generations. Having gone to bush at a younger age, am an ambassador of Liberation more than what most politicians think of who am I. In fact, what the marginalized Sudanese in all the peripherals of the country need is more than negative political rhetoric normally made in rallies in the name of winning supports.
In fact, the two years which preceded the uprising of the 1983 were so symbolic and noticeable in such a way that body communication was enough to rely the magnitude of the flaming fire in most Southerners including people from the three areas. What I would want us to remember is that we are not that race with short memories to have forgotten the recent past whom we are still nursing from the wounds incurred, who are indeed myopic to have proved scrambling over the little slide-piece of breed given by the enemy. “Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures, said John F. Kennedy.” If that very spirit was persistent in us, corruption, the grandfather of nepotism, tribalism and an uncle to rampant insecurity over this tiny piece of land won’t exist but I think it could be because our memories are too short to recall the yesterdays which brought us to today of remorse and regrets.
I’m intending to talk to my uncles, elder brothers, sisters heading the train driving the marginalized to the promised land that this very government we brought from land of deceits is too corrupt, naïve to accommodate us, too weak to foster hope in the hopeless orphans, widows and the crippled heroes and heroines maimed during the struggle and that you are obliged to adapt some reformations which I know your are potential to achieve but only that you might have been not told. That’s your greatness to drive this nation out of danger is inevitable given that the population is behind you.
my next take to the disgruntled masses is that, there‘s never existed corruption, tribalism, nepotism and many other vices in the government but the few seen are the results of your contributions. Nobody has ever dared to criticize his/her relative because of making the government office as their family dynasty in the name of fairness and patriotism. Judge me wrong if all office managers, drivers of officials and other crucial positions are not occupied by sons/daughters or immediate family members. It is very simple to be corrupt than to be fair. Although there is one mechanism which if employed can seal off all possible avenues of corruption and its relatives in a country brought about through just wish. This mechanism is through democratic means by electing leaders mandated in the name of serving people not themselves anymore. Lastly, we need not to commit mistake done by postcolonial Sudan that people had much trust in their leaders yet only few of those leaders honoured the trust paid to them. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Prof Wangari Maathai said, “Africa needs a revolution in leadership not only from the politicians who govern, but from an active citizenry that places the country above the narrow needs of its own ethnic group or community through collective responsibility over individual gains and common feeling of the continent.” We need our politicians to be active in advocating for positive change not only supporting transparency but must be reflected in their behaviours. Please SPLA veterans, the ball is still rolling in the firearms front as the LRA and other organized gangs still active. Where are you and your gallant spirit to rescue, stand tall against the hijackers of the movement the enemies of your work.
He is an employee of Southern Sudan Radio and can be reached at atokfuture@gmail.com
“A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people,” John F. Kennedy.
There is always a need to travel thousand miles beyond our simple perceptions and to meditate beyond our seeing in order to discover somewhere, where our objectives of the revolution went missing and to rediscover why we are so naïve and myopic to the course of our struggles as a nation endowed with greatness not discovered. In this defining moment, there is a need for massive support for our government whenever possible and there is need for massive uprising to up root all possible sources which contravene with original objectives of the Movement we wholeheartedly nursed during those nasty and nostalgic hours of isolation and boredom. And there is a need to redefine ourselves in this trying moment in order to rejuvenate our worn-out ideas for the sake of generation and generations. Having gone to bush at a younger age, am an ambassador of Liberation more than what most politicians think of who am I. In fact, what the marginalized Sudanese in all the peripherals of the country need is more than negative political rhetoric normally made in rallies in the name of winning supports.
In fact, the two years which preceded the uprising of the 1983 were so symbolic and noticeable in such a way that body communication was enough to rely the magnitude of the flaming fire in most Southerners including people from the three areas. What I would want us to remember is that we are not that race with short memories to have forgotten the recent past whom we are still nursing from the wounds incurred, who are indeed myopic to have proved scrambling over the little slide-piece of breed given by the enemy. “Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures, said John F. Kennedy.” If that very spirit was persistent in us, corruption, the grandfather of nepotism, tribalism and an uncle to rampant insecurity over this tiny piece of land won’t exist but I think it could be because our memories are too short to recall the yesterdays which brought us to today of remorse and regrets.
I’m intending to talk to my uncles, elder brothers, sisters heading the train driving the marginalized to the promised land that this very government we brought from land of deceits is too corrupt, naïve to accommodate us, too weak to foster hope in the hopeless orphans, widows and the crippled heroes and heroines maimed during the struggle and that you are obliged to adapt some reformations which I know your are potential to achieve but only that you might have been not told. That’s your greatness to drive this nation out of danger is inevitable given that the population is behind you.
my next take to the disgruntled masses is that, there‘s never existed corruption, tribalism, nepotism and many other vices in the government but the few seen are the results of your contributions. Nobody has ever dared to criticize his/her relative because of making the government office as their family dynasty in the name of fairness and patriotism. Judge me wrong if all office managers, drivers of officials and other crucial positions are not occupied by sons/daughters or immediate family members. It is very simple to be corrupt than to be fair. Although there is one mechanism which if employed can seal off all possible avenues of corruption and its relatives in a country brought about through just wish. This mechanism is through democratic means by electing leaders mandated in the name of serving people not themselves anymore. Lastly, we need not to commit mistake done by postcolonial Sudan that people had much trust in their leaders yet only few of those leaders honoured the trust paid to them. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Prof Wangari Maathai said, “Africa needs a revolution in leadership not only from the politicians who govern, but from an active citizenry that places the country above the narrow needs of its own ethnic group or community through collective responsibility over individual gains and common feeling of the continent.” We need our politicians to be active in advocating for positive change not only supporting transparency but must be reflected in their behaviours. Please SPLA veterans, the ball is still rolling in the firearms front as the LRA and other organized gangs still active. Where are you and your gallant spirit to rescue, stand tall against the hijackers of the movement the enemies of your work.
He is an employee of Southern Sudan Radio and can be reached at atokfuture@gmail.com
What is this vague unity all about?
By Atok Dan Baguoot
“I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts”.
Juba, 3rdApril. Having learned a lot from all unbelievable cruel deeds done to us in the last 50 years of Sudan’s Independence and count back to historical backdates in those dark hours of colonial periods when South and other areas inhabited by black Africans were still under Closed District Ordinance administration to Juba 1947 two days conference where the South forged marriage of convenience with the North. Those were years of learning from nursery, primary to secondary schools and university in analyzing what is all funny with vague unity or force marriage in which the kids born by the couples are too old to attend to themselves. It is always a mind bothering question if one is to go the normal vertical thinking trends in relation to current looming political rationale of this mismanaged vast piece of land on the face of the continent of Africa.
This is a country that will never agree to itself beyond normal human thinking even if our smooth tongue politicians are trying to buy time in persuading masses to deface their present sights of viewing the whole matter in its current ruinous state. There are people beyond our life time who never knew that peace is exact but not only found on paper as the case here in Sudan. These are those whom the future belongs but not the politicians who have failed this country for almost a century yet none is admittance to the mistakes done to ourselves.
For those of you who are Christians, God never got angry to those of Adam and Eve on the fact that they ate that fictitious Biblical tree but on the fact that none of them admitted to have eaten the fruit. When God asked Adam if he has eaten the fruit, he never answered yes but weighed the whole issue on the woman God himself provided likewise, Eve went on blaming God of Serpent he has placed in the Garden until serpent who didn’t exchange blame to anyone but I think if there was a fourth party he would have done it also. What I’m trying to tell you and I is that, our Northern colleagues whom the whole issue rested upon their shoulders are ever in defensive moods; wanted even to add more weighs on the existing messes they have created.
As a person familiar with this old existing game of deceits from a certain direction, we better go for another option because we had been deceived for so long such that enough can emerge as the best term to described it by saying enough is either too enough. An English language adage says, if a man deceives once, sham on him if twice sham on me because it is a sham on me I who is able to be deceived twice. So our deception by Northern brothers is too enough.
We as people with distinctive cultures, distinctive languages, norms, values, believes, colour, and even distinctive physique as well as wizard that represents our political ideologies, we can better suffer on our own instead of always crying faults while pointing accusatory fingers to their praying direction. It is better to be cheated by our own political wizards than being always prey to an individual whose terms thereto are unique in the name of forging this natural unstable parasitic existence in a very vast ecosystem where any of us can stay without bothering each others.
Due to all these political inconvenience, entrusting our affairs to those whose political allegiances is questionable was and is a deadly decision ever taken by anyone on this planet unless that person who opted for such a decision is naturally half like us in Southern Sudan and other marginalised peripherals in the Sudan. We are half because we refused to identify ourselves and even refused to forge our own economic stand simply because there are people somewhere wanted to be consulted first before you can name your child born tonight. This actually falls within the description of enemy and total slavery as defined by the SPLM in its manifesto of July 1984.
Books and big volumes have been written by many scholars on the relationship between the North, South and marginalised areas in plain language of calling spade a spade but not big spoon, yet our numbed senses couldn’t tolerate to interpret why all these foreign scholars see things within us far away when we cannot see them. Dinkas say what a child cannot see while standing can be seen by an elder seated. Even our elders don’t see things while standing today because they would have seen all tricks by NCP and advise young one to be cautious of foreign intruders. Arabs and Africans are foreigners to themselves and there is no way you can make them become one and not even the best scientists of the modern era have succeeded in doing it.
Unless when we want to abuse the nature, Arabisation and Islamisation philosophy can become realities in the Sudan. with traditional and primitive weapons, Anya Nya 1 succeeded in defending territorial integrity of the South until historical Addis Ababa 1972 peace agreement was signed when the Sudan Army with sophisticated weapons could annihilate disorganized and an unprofessional Anya Nya soldiers. Not we to be either Arabised or Islamized with equivalent weapons.
SPLM with meager resources also ventured through until CPA we are enjoying today came to what most redundant northern politicians confusing us on in its implementations. Not even a single old mum or dad in the villages of Southern Sudan has awaken up, asking for compensation of his/her lost son in the battle yet our learned colleagues are going here and there confusing people in the name of vote for NCP. I thought we would be talking the tongue of vote for the SPLM so that we obtain what had been denied us for century.
Qualitatively, I doubt the kind of education given by Arabs to Southern Sudanese and other marginalised black Africans in their northern universities. One time I told a friend of mind in a casual discussion that if Dr. Garang graduated in Khartoum University, he would have retreated in the battle like the rest of his graduate colleagues who deserted the battle fields for Khartoum. I refused to go to Juba University in Khartoum when Southern Students from East Africa were granted that privileged. In fact, it is not the education acquired in the North which is the problem but the way Arabs subdued Southerners is what I didn’t like because I was ideologically different given my backgrounds. “Whatever spoken within a reach of a child turn to the formation of a character of that child”, I refused Khartoum-Juba University until is brought home.
Be aware that any political destiny determined in the north in our names in the South here, worth none of a support in the South and that’s why SPLM-DC is just like shoe brush in the eyes and minds of normal Southerners. If there are people to sue to court of law because of our wasted youth and childhood happiness, it is those Southern politicians who opted to affiliate to north in determining our political fate. If there is anyone outside there who still holds on those Arabs fallacy of Southerners unable to manage their affairs, tonight is your answer to evacuate from that well calculated negative statement of subduing your senses to their control.
Since none of us can reverse his/her past but all of us able to change our future, tonight is your turn to reverse your fixed thinking of yourself because you had been in the den of lion and that you can be a complete independent being for you were created to as independent without cost. These elections whose process is rigged is soon coming to past therefore, your target is the referendum in which you will determine your political destiny. Late Dr. John Garang De Mabior said if you opted to continue as second class in your own country, it is absolutely yours.
Enough is enough, so let SPLM runs by our own brothers and sisters be the one to do those bad things to us if we really liked to be mistreated forever and ever. Otherwise, time has come for the old to listen to young because the old is too old to be listened to. Both history and contemporary events have taught us such that we hardly be deceived. Northern born SPLM-DC of renowned politician Dr. Lam Akol is one of those ancient north sponsored programs of setting South in disarray.
Indeed, events that took place in the government of Southern Sudan after its inception were really unexpected because these were actually characteristics of Old Sudan hence, deserve transformation but they don’t need someone to be sponsored in the North. If Dr. Lam had stayed in the South after he lost Foreign Ministry portfolio and form SPLM-DC in the South, he would have been the right option to correct them but when he extended his tentacles to North for blessings, Southerners see Bashir in the big picture of Lam. Beyond that, Dr. Akol remains as a great thinker and a liberator who only missed to take child to its rightful and supposed birth place.
Not even a stupid politician can form a political party as an option for the purpose of the South in the North and thinks of garner huge supports when you know very well that out traditional minds set towards the north is so negative that even blinds and deaf can see and hear. What happened to Dr. Akol can be compared to as adding table salt onto acid as a solution to stomach ulcers and sit back expecting your patient to cope with the treatment. Because of the North, Sudan Africa Closed District Union (SACDU), Sudan African National Union SANU, Nile Provincial Government NPG and SPLM/A and many other splinter groups that did not work were formed. Of cause, Nasir group, SPLM United, SSIM and so many others are living examples of war against the north. Children were orphaned and widows plus many malfunctioning incidences have occurred in between the Arab North South political relationship and that’s why somebody like me can have a lot to say.
Any outcast politician in the South is the one that affiliated with the north whereas; the best politician is the one who stood pressuring ground while advocating for the South in the South despite his intellect. If Dr. Lam had done that, disgruntled masses in the SPLM like the Independents, plus many others who felt rigged off in the recent Political Bureau nominations including me would have flocked to SPLM-DC camp for political settlement.
Atok Dan is a journalist working for Southern Sudan Radio and TV and can be reached at atokfuture@gmail.com
“I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts”.
Juba, 3rdApril. Having learned a lot from all unbelievable cruel deeds done to us in the last 50 years of Sudan’s Independence and count back to historical backdates in those dark hours of colonial periods when South and other areas inhabited by black Africans were still under Closed District Ordinance administration to Juba 1947 two days conference where the South forged marriage of convenience with the North. Those were years of learning from nursery, primary to secondary schools and university in analyzing what is all funny with vague unity or force marriage in which the kids born by the couples are too old to attend to themselves. It is always a mind bothering question if one is to go the normal vertical thinking trends in relation to current looming political rationale of this mismanaged vast piece of land on the face of the continent of Africa.
This is a country that will never agree to itself beyond normal human thinking even if our smooth tongue politicians are trying to buy time in persuading masses to deface their present sights of viewing the whole matter in its current ruinous state. There are people beyond our life time who never knew that peace is exact but not only found on paper as the case here in Sudan. These are those whom the future belongs but not the politicians who have failed this country for almost a century yet none is admittance to the mistakes done to ourselves.
For those of you who are Christians, God never got angry to those of Adam and Eve on the fact that they ate that fictitious Biblical tree but on the fact that none of them admitted to have eaten the fruit. When God asked Adam if he has eaten the fruit, he never answered yes but weighed the whole issue on the woman God himself provided likewise, Eve went on blaming God of Serpent he has placed in the Garden until serpent who didn’t exchange blame to anyone but I think if there was a fourth party he would have done it also. What I’m trying to tell you and I is that, our Northern colleagues whom the whole issue rested upon their shoulders are ever in defensive moods; wanted even to add more weighs on the existing messes they have created.
As a person familiar with this old existing game of deceits from a certain direction, we better go for another option because we had been deceived for so long such that enough can emerge as the best term to described it by saying enough is either too enough. An English language adage says, if a man deceives once, sham on him if twice sham on me because it is a sham on me I who is able to be deceived twice. So our deception by Northern brothers is too enough.
We as people with distinctive cultures, distinctive languages, norms, values, believes, colour, and even distinctive physique as well as wizard that represents our political ideologies, we can better suffer on our own instead of always crying faults while pointing accusatory fingers to their praying direction. It is better to be cheated by our own political wizards than being always prey to an individual whose terms thereto are unique in the name of forging this natural unstable parasitic existence in a very vast ecosystem where any of us can stay without bothering each others.
Due to all these political inconvenience, entrusting our affairs to those whose political allegiances is questionable was and is a deadly decision ever taken by anyone on this planet unless that person who opted for such a decision is naturally half like us in Southern Sudan and other marginalised peripherals in the Sudan. We are half because we refused to identify ourselves and even refused to forge our own economic stand simply because there are people somewhere wanted to be consulted first before you can name your child born tonight. This actually falls within the description of enemy and total slavery as defined by the SPLM in its manifesto of July 1984.
Books and big volumes have been written by many scholars on the relationship between the North, South and marginalised areas in plain language of calling spade a spade but not big spoon, yet our numbed senses couldn’t tolerate to interpret why all these foreign scholars see things within us far away when we cannot see them. Dinkas say what a child cannot see while standing can be seen by an elder seated. Even our elders don’t see things while standing today because they would have seen all tricks by NCP and advise young one to be cautious of foreign intruders. Arabs and Africans are foreigners to themselves and there is no way you can make them become one and not even the best scientists of the modern era have succeeded in doing it.
Unless when we want to abuse the nature, Arabisation and Islamisation philosophy can become realities in the Sudan. with traditional and primitive weapons, Anya Nya 1 succeeded in defending territorial integrity of the South until historical Addis Ababa 1972 peace agreement was signed when the Sudan Army with sophisticated weapons could annihilate disorganized and an unprofessional Anya Nya soldiers. Not we to be either Arabised or Islamized with equivalent weapons.
SPLM with meager resources also ventured through until CPA we are enjoying today came to what most redundant northern politicians confusing us on in its implementations. Not even a single old mum or dad in the villages of Southern Sudan has awaken up, asking for compensation of his/her lost son in the battle yet our learned colleagues are going here and there confusing people in the name of vote for NCP. I thought we would be talking the tongue of vote for the SPLM so that we obtain what had been denied us for century.
Qualitatively, I doubt the kind of education given by Arabs to Southern Sudanese and other marginalised black Africans in their northern universities. One time I told a friend of mind in a casual discussion that if Dr. Garang graduated in Khartoum University, he would have retreated in the battle like the rest of his graduate colleagues who deserted the battle fields for Khartoum. I refused to go to Juba University in Khartoum when Southern Students from East Africa were granted that privileged. In fact, it is not the education acquired in the North which is the problem but the way Arabs subdued Southerners is what I didn’t like because I was ideologically different given my backgrounds. “Whatever spoken within a reach of a child turn to the formation of a character of that child”, I refused Khartoum-Juba University until is brought home.
Be aware that any political destiny determined in the north in our names in the South here, worth none of a support in the South and that’s why SPLM-DC is just like shoe brush in the eyes and minds of normal Southerners. If there are people to sue to court of law because of our wasted youth and childhood happiness, it is those Southern politicians who opted to affiliate to north in determining our political fate. If there is anyone outside there who still holds on those Arabs fallacy of Southerners unable to manage their affairs, tonight is your answer to evacuate from that well calculated negative statement of subduing your senses to their control.
Since none of us can reverse his/her past but all of us able to change our future, tonight is your turn to reverse your fixed thinking of yourself because you had been in the den of lion and that you can be a complete independent being for you were created to as independent without cost. These elections whose process is rigged is soon coming to past therefore, your target is the referendum in which you will determine your political destiny. Late Dr. John Garang De Mabior said if you opted to continue as second class in your own country, it is absolutely yours.
Enough is enough, so let SPLM runs by our own brothers and sisters be the one to do those bad things to us if we really liked to be mistreated forever and ever. Otherwise, time has come for the old to listen to young because the old is too old to be listened to. Both history and contemporary events have taught us such that we hardly be deceived. Northern born SPLM-DC of renowned politician Dr. Lam Akol is one of those ancient north sponsored programs of setting South in disarray.
Indeed, events that took place in the government of Southern Sudan after its inception were really unexpected because these were actually characteristics of Old Sudan hence, deserve transformation but they don’t need someone to be sponsored in the North. If Dr. Lam had stayed in the South after he lost Foreign Ministry portfolio and form SPLM-DC in the South, he would have been the right option to correct them but when he extended his tentacles to North for blessings, Southerners see Bashir in the big picture of Lam. Beyond that, Dr. Akol remains as a great thinker and a liberator who only missed to take child to its rightful and supposed birth place.
Not even a stupid politician can form a political party as an option for the purpose of the South in the North and thinks of garner huge supports when you know very well that out traditional minds set towards the north is so negative that even blinds and deaf can see and hear. What happened to Dr. Akol can be compared to as adding table salt onto acid as a solution to stomach ulcers and sit back expecting your patient to cope with the treatment. Because of the North, Sudan Africa Closed District Union (SACDU), Sudan African National Union SANU, Nile Provincial Government NPG and SPLM/A and many other splinter groups that did not work were formed. Of cause, Nasir group, SPLM United, SSIM and so many others are living examples of war against the north. Children were orphaned and widows plus many malfunctioning incidences have occurred in between the Arab North South political relationship and that’s why somebody like me can have a lot to say.
Any outcast politician in the South is the one that affiliated with the north whereas; the best politician is the one who stood pressuring ground while advocating for the South in the South despite his intellect. If Dr. Lam had done that, disgruntled masses in the SPLM like the Independents, plus many others who felt rigged off in the recent Political Bureau nominations including me would have flocked to SPLM-DC camp for political settlement.
Atok Dan is a journalist working for Southern Sudan Radio and TV and can be reached at atokfuture@gmail.com
Intermittent discrimination of public service vehicles along Wazarat road in Juba town
By Atok Dan Baguoot.
Public transport sector in major towns in Southern Sudan is always a headache especially during the rush hours more so in Juba town where almost 80% of the roads are undergoing maintenance and tarmacking, given the normal traffic police duty in providing decent security protection to our VIPs and other credential visitors of the South who normal need special services when on the road. Wazarat road links Juba town with Konyokonyo, Ministries and other busy trading centres in Juba. It is the only service providing pathway which can ease public and private businesses in term of quick service delivery in the autonomous capital.
As a poor young nation that has just emerged out of the longest war on the continent, almost 98% of Juba population lack personal vehicles which facilitate faster transport to their daily workplaces hence, public service vehicles (psv) are highly use regardless of social status. According to GoSS Labour and Public Services Ministry the normal working minute starts at 8:30am -5:00pm and within that time allocated all workforces have to click in at that very time so that you end up having worked for eight hours at the end of the day.
The regular stressful experience on Wazarat road in Juba is the intermittent discrimination of public vehicles on that very road in the name of providing security to VIPs. Public buses are denied the use of the road especially during the rush hours which normally resulted into late reporting to workplaces whose effect is reduced performance in economical logical viewpoint. There is a need for decent protection of our VIPs given the dominance of terrorism and terror minded activities all over the globe, and also to offer them special time as their calendars are occupied, but there is also a need to weigh yield of combined efforts exerted by the entire public whose success in the economy depends shall be judged.
Public service vehicles users formed 95% of our workers hence, their contribution is also 95% and this is a fact of reality if we are to liberate ourselves economically in order to realize total freedom. Hoisting our beautiful flag higher above the sea level is just an inch unless our efforts on market go higher than that and the barometer of determining it, is efficient transport system. We need time and road apportionment. Signals of VIPs motorcades are enough to make public buses offer safe passage for our beloved leaders unlike putting total barricades for some hours in the name of offering safe journey. It has a quality of discrimination because while prohibiting public service buses, GoSS numbered cars and other private motorists do go simultaneously while offering space for VIPs motorcades to penetrate. Here, it doesn’t make sense when we want to talk in term of security provision to VIPs.
To me these private motorists/cars pose more threats than even public vehicle frustrated travelers battling with life to ensure that bread is availed on the table of his/her family at the end of the day and denying them quick travel their markets/workplaces at times is like depriving them oxygen. Lastly, traffic police have to patrol to monitor the movements of these economic crucial sectors without subjecting to them to high time. I’m a traveler of the said department and I normally find it hard to tolerate because my normal morning plan is to get to my work in time with a lot of ease.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan radio and can be reached at atokfuture@gmail.com
Public transport sector in major towns in Southern Sudan is always a headache especially during the rush hours more so in Juba town where almost 80% of the roads are undergoing maintenance and tarmacking, given the normal traffic police duty in providing decent security protection to our VIPs and other credential visitors of the South who normal need special services when on the road. Wazarat road links Juba town with Konyokonyo, Ministries and other busy trading centres in Juba. It is the only service providing pathway which can ease public and private businesses in term of quick service delivery in the autonomous capital.
As a poor young nation that has just emerged out of the longest war on the continent, almost 98% of Juba population lack personal vehicles which facilitate faster transport to their daily workplaces hence, public service vehicles (psv) are highly use regardless of social status. According to GoSS Labour and Public Services Ministry the normal working minute starts at 8:30am -5:00pm and within that time allocated all workforces have to click in at that very time so that you end up having worked for eight hours at the end of the day.
The regular stressful experience on Wazarat road in Juba is the intermittent discrimination of public vehicles on that very road in the name of providing security to VIPs. Public buses are denied the use of the road especially during the rush hours which normally resulted into late reporting to workplaces whose effect is reduced performance in economical logical viewpoint. There is a need for decent protection of our VIPs given the dominance of terrorism and terror minded activities all over the globe, and also to offer them special time as their calendars are occupied, but there is also a need to weigh yield of combined efforts exerted by the entire public whose success in the economy depends shall be judged.
Public service vehicles users formed 95% of our workers hence, their contribution is also 95% and this is a fact of reality if we are to liberate ourselves economically in order to realize total freedom. Hoisting our beautiful flag higher above the sea level is just an inch unless our efforts on market go higher than that and the barometer of determining it, is efficient transport system. We need time and road apportionment. Signals of VIPs motorcades are enough to make public buses offer safe passage for our beloved leaders unlike putting total barricades for some hours in the name of offering safe journey. It has a quality of discrimination because while prohibiting public service buses, GoSS numbered cars and other private motorists do go simultaneously while offering space for VIPs motorcades to penetrate. Here, it doesn’t make sense when we want to talk in term of security provision to VIPs.
To me these private motorists/cars pose more threats than even public vehicle frustrated travelers battling with life to ensure that bread is availed on the table of his/her family at the end of the day and denying them quick travel their markets/workplaces at times is like depriving them oxygen. Lastly, traffic police have to patrol to monitor the movements of these economic crucial sectors without subjecting to them to high time. I’m a traveler of the said department and I normally find it hard to tolerate because my normal morning plan is to get to my work in time with a lot of ease.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan radio and can be reached at atokfuture@gmail.com
Let war be history in these elections
By Atok Dan Baguoot
“In the democracy of the dead all men at last are equal. There is neither rank nor station nor prerogative in the republic of the grave”
Voting for SPLM in these elections would be a definite genesis of second liberation for Northern marginalised, Islamized and Arabised African Sudanese that were not directly or indirectly involved in the two decades war of liberation fought in Southern Sudan of which other exposed peripherals like Southern Blue, Nuba Mountains as well as eastern fronts participated. In fact, debates heated up the atmosphere between the SPLM and the National Congress Party NCP during the 2008 Sudan Fifth Household Census on the questions of Ethnicity and religion with consistent stance by the SPLM to overhaul the questionnaires of inclusivity of questions on ethnicity and creeds, besides demographic facts.
In every Census, there are predominant factors considered why census ought to be carried out in any nation especially in rare cases where civil population was partially involved in protracted wars and massive migrations whether be it internal or external displacement like the case of Sudan. It is always a global assumption that lives were lost and children were born in continuity of normal live but with intention of equating death to birth rate, besides emphasis on how conflicts affected normal traditional settlements of the people hereafter long unrest, census is always preferred to establish facts.
Sudan is never exceptional because civil population was displaced, lives were lost and traditional economic aspect of the people was in ruin leaving the rural population in total destitute, and in economic disarrays. Urban settlements were overhauled as the population moved to safer zones for periodical safeguards.
Today, major towns in northern Sudan outburst as the population shot up in the shortest time opposed to normal population growth given the fact that this very rural population urban and migration was forceful and given the deplorable conditions in which they are subject to, societies, communities and individuals end up bending some of their traditional norms and customs to forge a new way of survival in that new environment and hence, assimilations through marriages of conveniences resulted into half breed offspring whose identities remain loyal to economic muscular individuals.
The victims of such unintended ploy were Black African tribes in both the South and the North and whose social being were disrupted by social injustices as well as cross cultural settlement patterns. Their daughters went for light skinned or Afro Arab men for the sake of survival because these men were historically privileged on the expenses of oppressed Africans.
These were reasons why questions of ethnicity and religion were thrashed off as a matter of denying the true natural account of what this unfortunate country faceted. With a false preaching in Northern Sudan pronouncing this country as both Arab and Islamic state, these facts would have prevailed wrong in the previous census if the two components of ethnicity and religion were answered in the exercise. Now Sudan remains an Arab and Islamic state because of political dishonesty through genocidal procedures. Force displacement, trickery assimilation and economic tortures amount to genocide in one way or the other.
People loss their cultures, land and even direct torturing and killings which deprived them of their cultural prides, subjecting them into a state of cultural inferiority or even seeing themselves either a weak race or society, based on these silent intended strategies. But because these very people still have that cultural egos not completely deleted in them, the Arabs reinforce the strategy through a force like by inculcating into them rejection, self identification, giving them Islamic names and a forced believe. For the case of Sudan, Islamic names and believes were enforced in substitute of their African norms and believes.
In order to break these cycles, it is only possible through voting in SPLM in these elections so that a new political dispensation is created to provide equal opportunities to all the Sudanese people who are oppressed for so long. As a political force founded among the oppressed and none privileged Sudanese, it is ready to awaken our recess genes in recalling who we are exactly. It is called self recognition.
Having stayed in slavery for a period older than my thirty years on earth, these black Africans actually need a concept of total liberation to dominate their gone to recess genes so that they are able to stand tall in their persons and communities to revive and rejuvenate their cultures minus the conditionally acquired Arab cultures.
Voting SPLM to be the dominant party in Northern Sudan in these elections would actually catalyses recuperation processes among these culturally enslaved people because SPLM envisioned this war for cultural, economic and social identification. That ‘s why a renowned Southern Sudanese professor and an advisor to United Nations UN Secretary General on Genocide and Mass Atrocities, Dr. Francis M Deng titled one of his famous books as “War of Vision and Conflicts of Identities” referring to the protracted civil wars fought in the Sudan.
In this context, Dr. Francis Deng specifically summarized the Sudanese quest for freedom into a title of a book because it is all what SPLM was founded, with derivative core conception from the Pan Africanism as seen in Sudan African National Union SANU. SPLM and SANU were offspring and abstracted from the idea of Closed Districts Ordinance then during the colonial periods. But unlike the SANU, SPLM had vibrant and lively objectives with a lot of zeal and enthusiasm among the Africans from those areas referred to as closed Districts. Current SPLM deputy chairman, Malik Agar and Late Yusuf Kuwa Mekki are prominent examples of those who ushered way forward among the northern black Africans enslaved in northern parts of the Sudan.
In my descriptions, they are never exceptional, however their stance shaped the Movement into a recognized national liberation army wanted to liberate the whole country from Arabs hegemony. It is the African tribes that were subjected to neo colonialism in the country in spite of their massive contributions in realizing independence Sudan of 1.1.1956.
For this matter, SPLM is the only choice and preferred option among the Northern marginalised African nationalities if they are to live a free lives like the rest of their kin and kiths later in independence South Sudan as secession is eminent, comes year 2011 referendum for the people of Southern Sudan. For the case of Abyei, the axe is already grounded despite the fact that it is a bitter pill to swallow among our northern brothers.
As a person bordering Nuba Mountains, I know how costly it would be for the Nuba people to stand together advocating a uniform voice in ushering a new destiny in their popular consultation due to their existing ideological political differences apart from deep Islamic influence on the region. In such a case, SPLM remains the only preferred option if they like to be a Nuba well adjacent to South Sudan unlike their brothers the Nubia in the far North whose social settlement, political live and traditional settlement was straddled across international boundaries of Sudan and Egypt, the former political mentor of Sudanese Arab descendants in the Sudan.
In reference to the SPLM principle of liberating the marginalised, this concept would have been widely accepted amongst them because its referential sense made more impact in the north than in Southern Sudan the birth place of the party. SPLM is their rightful remedy because if South Sudan secedes without them being granted their inalienable rights, it would be very difficult if not impossible for them to forge a cultural pride and identity nor economic leverages due to their cultural docility and submissiveness to Arabs as signified by their easy acceptance to Islamic Cultures.
It is a known fact today that Arab tribes form the majority of the Sudanese whereas Islam remains the religion of the majority thus, the two qualities of an Islamic state are met on assumption that Darfur, Nuba Mountains, and Eastern Sudan are cultured Arabs especially when some of them don’t voice in their tribal tongues or languages and don’t profess their African faith. Southern Sudan has withstood this simple temptation of Arabisation and Islamisation by tough adherence to indigenous customs and believes.
If SPLM had succeeded in persuading NCP to add question of ethnicity and religion on the census form, professors of history in the Sudan would have been taken to court of law for having misled the country or their academic papers would have been confiscated if not revoked because new history is to be rewritten and Sudan becomes a nation historical misled by educated fellows.
To me, a graduate of history today in Sudan worth none the paper he/she holds because he underwent trainings through distorted syllabi. It also worth mentions that SPLM as the only vocal instrument that has shown up as a tough challenger to NCP and its extremism ideologies is optional because life would be normal if they take over in the north despite a separate South Sudan. Let marginalised survives SPLM in the North so that it advocates for their long denied and hidden rights. It is because we had learned enough from all other Sudanese political forces that have ruled Sudan since independence. If they had political will to grant rights of marginalised, they would have done it since there was neither visible nor invisible barricades preventing them from doing so voluntarily. So marginalised cannot rely on any political party in the North because enough is enoughed.
Therefore, the only possible avenue as the hope among the marginalised Sudanese is to vote for the SPLM whether be it at the presidency and in various legislative Assemblies in order to have decent human life otherwise, there would always be unfilled vacuum of political doubts as our country is characterized by political dishonesty especially the ruling class which we have known for sometimes. Voting for the SPLM would remain the beginning of second liberation for the oppressed Sudanese in northern Sudan.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio & TV and he is reachable at atokfuture@gmail.com
“In the democracy of the dead all men at last are equal. There is neither rank nor station nor prerogative in the republic of the grave”
Voting for SPLM in these elections would be a definite genesis of second liberation for Northern marginalised, Islamized and Arabised African Sudanese that were not directly or indirectly involved in the two decades war of liberation fought in Southern Sudan of which other exposed peripherals like Southern Blue, Nuba Mountains as well as eastern fronts participated. In fact, debates heated up the atmosphere between the SPLM and the National Congress Party NCP during the 2008 Sudan Fifth Household Census on the questions of Ethnicity and religion with consistent stance by the SPLM to overhaul the questionnaires of inclusivity of questions on ethnicity and creeds, besides demographic facts.
In every Census, there are predominant factors considered why census ought to be carried out in any nation especially in rare cases where civil population was partially involved in protracted wars and massive migrations whether be it internal or external displacement like the case of Sudan. It is always a global assumption that lives were lost and children were born in continuity of normal live but with intention of equating death to birth rate, besides emphasis on how conflicts affected normal traditional settlements of the people hereafter long unrest, census is always preferred to establish facts.
Sudan is never exceptional because civil population was displaced, lives were lost and traditional economic aspect of the people was in ruin leaving the rural population in total destitute, and in economic disarrays. Urban settlements were overhauled as the population moved to safer zones for periodical safeguards.
Today, major towns in northern Sudan outburst as the population shot up in the shortest time opposed to normal population growth given the fact that this very rural population urban and migration was forceful and given the deplorable conditions in which they are subject to, societies, communities and individuals end up bending some of their traditional norms and customs to forge a new way of survival in that new environment and hence, assimilations through marriages of conveniences resulted into half breed offspring whose identities remain loyal to economic muscular individuals.
The victims of such unintended ploy were Black African tribes in both the South and the North and whose social being were disrupted by social injustices as well as cross cultural settlement patterns. Their daughters went for light skinned or Afro Arab men for the sake of survival because these men were historically privileged on the expenses of oppressed Africans.
These were reasons why questions of ethnicity and religion were thrashed off as a matter of denying the true natural account of what this unfortunate country faceted. With a false preaching in Northern Sudan pronouncing this country as both Arab and Islamic state, these facts would have prevailed wrong in the previous census if the two components of ethnicity and religion were answered in the exercise. Now Sudan remains an Arab and Islamic state because of political dishonesty through genocidal procedures. Force displacement, trickery assimilation and economic tortures amount to genocide in one way or the other.
People loss their cultures, land and even direct torturing and killings which deprived them of their cultural prides, subjecting them into a state of cultural inferiority or even seeing themselves either a weak race or society, based on these silent intended strategies. But because these very people still have that cultural egos not completely deleted in them, the Arabs reinforce the strategy through a force like by inculcating into them rejection, self identification, giving them Islamic names and a forced believe. For the case of Sudan, Islamic names and believes were enforced in substitute of their African norms and believes.
In order to break these cycles, it is only possible through voting in SPLM in these elections so that a new political dispensation is created to provide equal opportunities to all the Sudanese people who are oppressed for so long. As a political force founded among the oppressed and none privileged Sudanese, it is ready to awaken our recess genes in recalling who we are exactly. It is called self recognition.
Having stayed in slavery for a period older than my thirty years on earth, these black Africans actually need a concept of total liberation to dominate their gone to recess genes so that they are able to stand tall in their persons and communities to revive and rejuvenate their cultures minus the conditionally acquired Arab cultures.
Voting SPLM to be the dominant party in Northern Sudan in these elections would actually catalyses recuperation processes among these culturally enslaved people because SPLM envisioned this war for cultural, economic and social identification. That ‘s why a renowned Southern Sudanese professor and an advisor to United Nations UN Secretary General on Genocide and Mass Atrocities, Dr. Francis M Deng titled one of his famous books as “War of Vision and Conflicts of Identities” referring to the protracted civil wars fought in the Sudan.
In this context, Dr. Francis Deng specifically summarized the Sudanese quest for freedom into a title of a book because it is all what SPLM was founded, with derivative core conception from the Pan Africanism as seen in Sudan African National Union SANU. SPLM and SANU were offspring and abstracted from the idea of Closed Districts Ordinance then during the colonial periods. But unlike the SANU, SPLM had vibrant and lively objectives with a lot of zeal and enthusiasm among the Africans from those areas referred to as closed Districts. Current SPLM deputy chairman, Malik Agar and Late Yusuf Kuwa Mekki are prominent examples of those who ushered way forward among the northern black Africans enslaved in northern parts of the Sudan.
In my descriptions, they are never exceptional, however their stance shaped the Movement into a recognized national liberation army wanted to liberate the whole country from Arabs hegemony. It is the African tribes that were subjected to neo colonialism in the country in spite of their massive contributions in realizing independence Sudan of 1.1.1956.
For this matter, SPLM is the only choice and preferred option among the Northern marginalised African nationalities if they are to live a free lives like the rest of their kin and kiths later in independence South Sudan as secession is eminent, comes year 2011 referendum for the people of Southern Sudan. For the case of Abyei, the axe is already grounded despite the fact that it is a bitter pill to swallow among our northern brothers.
As a person bordering Nuba Mountains, I know how costly it would be for the Nuba people to stand together advocating a uniform voice in ushering a new destiny in their popular consultation due to their existing ideological political differences apart from deep Islamic influence on the region. In such a case, SPLM remains the only preferred option if they like to be a Nuba well adjacent to South Sudan unlike their brothers the Nubia in the far North whose social settlement, political live and traditional settlement was straddled across international boundaries of Sudan and Egypt, the former political mentor of Sudanese Arab descendants in the Sudan.
In reference to the SPLM principle of liberating the marginalised, this concept would have been widely accepted amongst them because its referential sense made more impact in the north than in Southern Sudan the birth place of the party. SPLM is their rightful remedy because if South Sudan secedes without them being granted their inalienable rights, it would be very difficult if not impossible for them to forge a cultural pride and identity nor economic leverages due to their cultural docility and submissiveness to Arabs as signified by their easy acceptance to Islamic Cultures.
It is a known fact today that Arab tribes form the majority of the Sudanese whereas Islam remains the religion of the majority thus, the two qualities of an Islamic state are met on assumption that Darfur, Nuba Mountains, and Eastern Sudan are cultured Arabs especially when some of them don’t voice in their tribal tongues or languages and don’t profess their African faith. Southern Sudan has withstood this simple temptation of Arabisation and Islamisation by tough adherence to indigenous customs and believes.
If SPLM had succeeded in persuading NCP to add question of ethnicity and religion on the census form, professors of history in the Sudan would have been taken to court of law for having misled the country or their academic papers would have been confiscated if not revoked because new history is to be rewritten and Sudan becomes a nation historical misled by educated fellows.
To me, a graduate of history today in Sudan worth none the paper he/she holds because he underwent trainings through distorted syllabi. It also worth mentions that SPLM as the only vocal instrument that has shown up as a tough challenger to NCP and its extremism ideologies is optional because life would be normal if they take over in the north despite a separate South Sudan. Let marginalised survives SPLM in the North so that it advocates for their long denied and hidden rights. It is because we had learned enough from all other Sudanese political forces that have ruled Sudan since independence. If they had political will to grant rights of marginalised, they would have done it since there was neither visible nor invisible barricades preventing them from doing so voluntarily. So marginalised cannot rely on any political party in the North because enough is enoughed.
Therefore, the only possible avenue as the hope among the marginalised Sudanese is to vote for the SPLM whether be it at the presidency and in various legislative Assemblies in order to have decent human life otherwise, there would always be unfilled vacuum of political doubts as our country is characterized by political dishonesty especially the ruling class which we have known for sometimes. Voting for the SPLM would remain the beginning of second liberation for the oppressed Sudanese in northern Sudan.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio & TV and he is reachable at atokfuture@gmail.com
Let’s defend our political titles
By Atok Dan Baguoot.
In a nation where titles are shared, the only person robbed of the prestige is the president. Today in Southern Sudan, titles are shared regardless of the positions and ranks a person holds. In many countries only president, vice president, ambassadors and other few dignitaries deserve the title of “His Excellence” normally abbreviated as H.E. For our case, almost every dignitary carries that title but the funny thing here is that an outsider could wonder what specific title to use when addressing a boss in his/her office. Ministers share the same title of H.E. with the president, vice president, ambassadors as well as County Commissioners and head of independent Commissions. In Southern Sudan, president, his vice president and ambassadors are robbed of that title of H.E. It is a country of excellence performers.
The philosophical concept behind the use of such titles is associated with its acquisitions. You earn a title or acquire it through recognition from a respected institution. For instance, title honorable is derived from academic title honorary and his excellence also originated from nursery school concept of motivating young kids to concentrate in their studies. Whenever a child get some good marks, the tutor has to reward that child with that title in order to make him/her do much and also to motivate other kids who might have not gotten it to do the same. Some teachers do stick a yellowish shine decorated cartoon-like structure in an exercise book of that kid who has done well and if it is seen by others, they all strive hard to get that too.
Nevertheless, these titles are accorded in same manner. A president and his vice deserve that title because after being preferred as the only persons to head a nation out of many who competed for the post, only one person is opted by the whole majority therefore, he/she becomes H.E like a kids who has gotten the required marks proposed by the teacher. An Ambassador also qualifies for the title simply because he represents his nation in a foreign country alone out of the many that would have done too. In a country where leaders rise to high leadership position through other means apart from democratic elections, the title becomes imposed. South Sudan is not exceptional and whoever carries that title does so because of either historical background of liberation struggle or any other equivalent means.
President of the government of Southern Sudan and his vice also became suited with the title because of their struggle backgrounds. Life in the bush was unbearable and many didn’t dare to withstand the hardship hence, they deserve it too. But not all deserve it also because it becomes monotony and as a result it would either sound like mere mockery instead of decent and respectful address, besides it distinctive use.
The title Honorable is commonly used in the like situation derived from competition though it has definite distinction where it can also suits the bearer. Apart from it being an academic title, a member of parliament can also have it before his/her name to signify how he acquired the title MP. A Member of Parliament competes with rest in order to win the interest of the constituency to become their representative in the parliament. Without that subjectivity, you cannot be honoured with the title but unless there is a dictate signifying the use. Our current MPs have that condition qualifying them for the title. But the question next door is that as their constitutional term expires, will they retain it or fresh mandate is needed from them.
The term is so comfortable that one always wishes to have it up to the last day to the grave or world where there is no title, not even academic doctorate. With those religious, a saint is the title that people scramble although it is left in cemetery with white clothes a dead body is draped. That is the fact about the world of true equality.
Let’s go for free and fair elections so that we continue using our distinguished titles without complains, otherwise, they won’t make meaning. Our president spoke nicely in the Monday’s peaceful demonstration telling the public that registration exercise was peaceful and this signifies peaceful elections. This message went to those who had in the back of their minds to retain their titles in dishonest manner.
The only person who knows how tough to run a government where almost everybody is appointed is the President. He said he is tired of answering phone calls instructing him to remove any of his legislators and governors every now and then. H.E. President Mayardit said he will be relieved from answering phone asking him to remove a leader if all leaders are elected by their own people. Not even a fool will dare calling Mr. President to remove anybody if all are democratically elected. It would also be a chance for those fearing the weighs of their titles to lift them lighter. Honorable will be truer and unconditionally imposed.
As the constitutional term of our MPs expires, it would be very difficult for the President to form another parliament without elections because deriving to criteria of selecting the next incumbents of the August House would prove tough. For instance, if H.E. the President goes for Mr. Atok Dan to be next honorable for Parieng County in juba parliament, in his mind will be the criterion of getting me out of that one hundred thousand population of Panaruu Dinka. This personal question will also transcend in the minds of local persons deep in the village asking the president the same question how he got that person whom we hate most again.
By the way I like the prefix honorable but the question lingering in my mind is that, do
I have what it takes to be so before I reach them the “barometers” who will gauge my performances? This is the question that keeps away most of our current MPs from their constituencies. Those rating zero in their constituencies will never even think of uttering even a mere negative political rhetoric before their populace and thus, they either prefer unilateral declaration of the independent of the South to a peaceful referendum or a magical short cut to referendum without elections so that by God’s luck they continue enjoying their tenant without disturbances yet not knowing that the whole South wants elections because of them.
A president can run a nation with his cabinet plus the effort from security forces but for the sake of accountability and proximity of power to people, an answerable parliament ought to be so that power is closer to people in a devolved manner so that it links the people with the further centre. Lastly, let’s quench our bloody thirst by instituting an answerable system which our kids and generations would be proud of before historians could settle with their facts as history does not forgive. Be careful of reckless utterances otherwise our intuition tones dance in compliance with whatever we speak.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio & TV and he is reached at atokfuture@gmail.com
In a nation where titles are shared, the only person robbed of the prestige is the president. Today in Southern Sudan, titles are shared regardless of the positions and ranks a person holds. In many countries only president, vice president, ambassadors and other few dignitaries deserve the title of “His Excellence” normally abbreviated as H.E. For our case, almost every dignitary carries that title but the funny thing here is that an outsider could wonder what specific title to use when addressing a boss in his/her office. Ministers share the same title of H.E. with the president, vice president, ambassadors as well as County Commissioners and head of independent Commissions. In Southern Sudan, president, his vice president and ambassadors are robbed of that title of H.E. It is a country of excellence performers.
The philosophical concept behind the use of such titles is associated with its acquisitions. You earn a title or acquire it through recognition from a respected institution. For instance, title honorable is derived from academic title honorary and his excellence also originated from nursery school concept of motivating young kids to concentrate in their studies. Whenever a child get some good marks, the tutor has to reward that child with that title in order to make him/her do much and also to motivate other kids who might have not gotten it to do the same. Some teachers do stick a yellowish shine decorated cartoon-like structure in an exercise book of that kid who has done well and if it is seen by others, they all strive hard to get that too.
Nevertheless, these titles are accorded in same manner. A president and his vice deserve that title because after being preferred as the only persons to head a nation out of many who competed for the post, only one person is opted by the whole majority therefore, he/she becomes H.E like a kids who has gotten the required marks proposed by the teacher. An Ambassador also qualifies for the title simply because he represents his nation in a foreign country alone out of the many that would have done too. In a country where leaders rise to high leadership position through other means apart from democratic elections, the title becomes imposed. South Sudan is not exceptional and whoever carries that title does so because of either historical background of liberation struggle or any other equivalent means.
President of the government of Southern Sudan and his vice also became suited with the title because of their struggle backgrounds. Life in the bush was unbearable and many didn’t dare to withstand the hardship hence, they deserve it too. But not all deserve it also because it becomes monotony and as a result it would either sound like mere mockery instead of decent and respectful address, besides it distinctive use.
The title Honorable is commonly used in the like situation derived from competition though it has definite distinction where it can also suits the bearer. Apart from it being an academic title, a member of parliament can also have it before his/her name to signify how he acquired the title MP. A Member of Parliament competes with rest in order to win the interest of the constituency to become their representative in the parliament. Without that subjectivity, you cannot be honoured with the title but unless there is a dictate signifying the use. Our current MPs have that condition qualifying them for the title. But the question next door is that as their constitutional term expires, will they retain it or fresh mandate is needed from them.
The term is so comfortable that one always wishes to have it up to the last day to the grave or world where there is no title, not even academic doctorate. With those religious, a saint is the title that people scramble although it is left in cemetery with white clothes a dead body is draped. That is the fact about the world of true equality.
Let’s go for free and fair elections so that we continue using our distinguished titles without complains, otherwise, they won’t make meaning. Our president spoke nicely in the Monday’s peaceful demonstration telling the public that registration exercise was peaceful and this signifies peaceful elections. This message went to those who had in the back of their minds to retain their titles in dishonest manner.
The only person who knows how tough to run a government where almost everybody is appointed is the President. He said he is tired of answering phone calls instructing him to remove any of his legislators and governors every now and then. H.E. President Mayardit said he will be relieved from answering phone asking him to remove a leader if all leaders are elected by their own people. Not even a fool will dare calling Mr. President to remove anybody if all are democratically elected. It would also be a chance for those fearing the weighs of their titles to lift them lighter. Honorable will be truer and unconditionally imposed.
As the constitutional term of our MPs expires, it would be very difficult for the President to form another parliament without elections because deriving to criteria of selecting the next incumbents of the August House would prove tough. For instance, if H.E. the President goes for Mr. Atok Dan to be next honorable for Parieng County in juba parliament, in his mind will be the criterion of getting me out of that one hundred thousand population of Panaruu Dinka. This personal question will also transcend in the minds of local persons deep in the village asking the president the same question how he got that person whom we hate most again.
By the way I like the prefix honorable but the question lingering in my mind is that, do
I have what it takes to be so before I reach them the “barometers” who will gauge my performances? This is the question that keeps away most of our current MPs from their constituencies. Those rating zero in their constituencies will never even think of uttering even a mere negative political rhetoric before their populace and thus, they either prefer unilateral declaration of the independent of the South to a peaceful referendum or a magical short cut to referendum without elections so that by God’s luck they continue enjoying their tenant without disturbances yet not knowing that the whole South wants elections because of them.
A president can run a nation with his cabinet plus the effort from security forces but for the sake of accountability and proximity of power to people, an answerable parliament ought to be so that power is closer to people in a devolved manner so that it links the people with the further centre. Lastly, let’s quench our bloody thirst by instituting an answerable system which our kids and generations would be proud of before historians could settle with their facts as history does not forgive. Be careful of reckless utterances otherwise our intuition tones dance in compliance with whatever we speak.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio & TV and he is reached at atokfuture@gmail.com
Youth, take over the leadership of this country
By Atok Dan Baguoot
Time has come for us to say goodbye and bye to old ways of doing things to express and exercise our choices in a fashion of queues and lines in determining our shaky and always gloomy futures as analysts put it. Time has come for us to put aside our broken of yesterdays and to begin a new dawn, full of hope, happiness and joy for us generation and posterity. “The torch has been passed to a generation tempered by wars, who bore the hardship of economic distress and political turmoil” US President Barack.
Time has come for us to put our names on white and black register book for the forth coming elections in which most of us are going to vote for the first time in their life. I who was born late 1970s is also on board with us. Register now and check that you have registered and confirm that your name is spelt clearly. Days are numbered.
The torch has been passed down to us the youth of Southern Sudan, three areas of Abyei, South Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains, and the entire marginalised who bore the brunt of civil wars, whose life shrunk beneath the feet of absolute destitute. Let us register to vote.
There are only few days that are left in this calendar year in which our country will try the long coveted and desired moment of democratic elections of choosing who to sit in our parliaments and other palaces, who to decide on our daily and future affairs. Our forefathers fought for it likewise we tested the same baptism of fire at our earlier ages.
Our time is ripe enough to spearhead the exercise. We had been robbed and denied of our chances: that series of generations passed without tested the taking over their rights. In fact, the secret behind a presidential term limit in modern leadership power transfer is to give each and every generation there chance. For the case of five years two terms defines exactly what a generation is and if the tenant goes beyond that very limit, then certain generation has been robbed or denied.
So many generations have been robbed of their chances for instance, President Bashir has snatched chance of one generation and that generation is ready to sneak away with chance of another generation and the game continues to generation and posterity. This defines series and generations of conflicts on the continent of Africa. Sudan is never exceptional.
In African context of leadership, elders do tell young people that your time will come and indeed when that time comes, you deserve it. In Dinka Society, midwives begin identifying a baby at birth of what talent that baby will grow to. Hunters, metal worker, medicines person, born leader and all sort of careers were identified in young and whenever they grow up, elders were able to know exactly who is to do what. This concept actually was automatic alternation of power transfer. Leadership was not robbed unlike the Whites written theory which says “Power is 20% given and 80% taken.
Youth, let us go for 80% slogan because our elders are never ready for that and the only way of penetrating through is by registering now and later on vote in our large numbers. In African Unchained, George Ayitteh says :cheetahs and hippos, that cheetahs are the young with fresh blood to move Africa ahead while hippos as the old one whose term limit has come to an end yet they still cling to power, fiercely defending their base if attack. He said let these hippos leave watering hole and retire to shade. Agile and dynamic minds are needed to move us ahead for the next miles before we also retire to others. It is a natural order of things. We do not want to cause chaos to others when time comes for them.
It is youth that am writing to so that they able to direct their energies to their rightful cause and cease from petty tribal and clan politics of patronage. Politics is never accomplished game; you do yours and leave the rest to others. It is never a privilege to us but duly inalienable rights. “There is nothing shameful in falling down as long you are willing to stand up each time you fall”. These elders will never and never relinquish power to us. Strive for change and strive for leadership that has oasis of hope.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio & TV; he is reached at atokfuture@gmail.com
Time has come for us to say goodbye and bye to old ways of doing things to express and exercise our choices in a fashion of queues and lines in determining our shaky and always gloomy futures as analysts put it. Time has come for us to put aside our broken of yesterdays and to begin a new dawn, full of hope, happiness and joy for us generation and posterity. “The torch has been passed to a generation tempered by wars, who bore the hardship of economic distress and political turmoil” US President Barack.
Time has come for us to put our names on white and black register book for the forth coming elections in which most of us are going to vote for the first time in their life. I who was born late 1970s is also on board with us. Register now and check that you have registered and confirm that your name is spelt clearly. Days are numbered.
The torch has been passed down to us the youth of Southern Sudan, three areas of Abyei, South Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains, and the entire marginalised who bore the brunt of civil wars, whose life shrunk beneath the feet of absolute destitute. Let us register to vote.
There are only few days that are left in this calendar year in which our country will try the long coveted and desired moment of democratic elections of choosing who to sit in our parliaments and other palaces, who to decide on our daily and future affairs. Our forefathers fought for it likewise we tested the same baptism of fire at our earlier ages.
Our time is ripe enough to spearhead the exercise. We had been robbed and denied of our chances: that series of generations passed without tested the taking over their rights. In fact, the secret behind a presidential term limit in modern leadership power transfer is to give each and every generation there chance. For the case of five years two terms defines exactly what a generation is and if the tenant goes beyond that very limit, then certain generation has been robbed or denied.
So many generations have been robbed of their chances for instance, President Bashir has snatched chance of one generation and that generation is ready to sneak away with chance of another generation and the game continues to generation and posterity. This defines series and generations of conflicts on the continent of Africa. Sudan is never exceptional.
In African context of leadership, elders do tell young people that your time will come and indeed when that time comes, you deserve it. In Dinka Society, midwives begin identifying a baby at birth of what talent that baby will grow to. Hunters, metal worker, medicines person, born leader and all sort of careers were identified in young and whenever they grow up, elders were able to know exactly who is to do what. This concept actually was automatic alternation of power transfer. Leadership was not robbed unlike the Whites written theory which says “Power is 20% given and 80% taken.
Youth, let us go for 80% slogan because our elders are never ready for that and the only way of penetrating through is by registering now and later on vote in our large numbers. In African Unchained, George Ayitteh says :cheetahs and hippos, that cheetahs are the young with fresh blood to move Africa ahead while hippos as the old one whose term limit has come to an end yet they still cling to power, fiercely defending their base if attack. He said let these hippos leave watering hole and retire to shade. Agile and dynamic minds are needed to move us ahead for the next miles before we also retire to others. It is a natural order of things. We do not want to cause chaos to others when time comes for them.
It is youth that am writing to so that they able to direct their energies to their rightful cause and cease from petty tribal and clan politics of patronage. Politics is never accomplished game; you do yours and leave the rest to others. It is never a privilege to us but duly inalienable rights. “There is nothing shameful in falling down as long you are willing to stand up each time you fall”. These elders will never and never relinquish power to us. Strive for change and strive for leadership that has oasis of hope.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio & TV; he is reached at atokfuture@gmail.com
Shisha smoking rocks Southern Sudan war torn cities.
By Atok Dan Baguoot
It might sound vague and fake when not properly define but Shisha or (molasses tobacco) is a sticky dark-brown honey like substance which has partial sweet smell at a close distance. It is normally placed in a small silvered plastic plate metal connected with well decorated burette or long neck bottle resembles conical flask with water meant to reduce concentration of smoke which passes through while light grayish smoke comes out of smokers mouth and nose building cloudy environment around them.
It chemical contents and compositions remain illusive although researchers believed that Shisha provides its smokers with high appetite of all sorts of foods. While smoking (sucking), a person sweat severely which signifies relieve and displacement of natural body chemical energy through idle processes. Second to that, question of eating affinity of idle Shisha smokers who claimed to eat without work. What they eat remains unanswered question in the minds of mental realistic persons.
It started along the Arabian Peninsula amongst sailors who do overstay in the sea coldness while sailing to all parts of the world pursuing lucrative businesses hence; it found its way to modern Arab cities both in Middle East and Northern African cities of Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria and eventually into Khartoum by surprise. As a matter of religious facts and denials, Arab traders used it to substitute pure tobacco smoking and drinking prohibited by Islamic laws and Sharia which actually gave it unquestionable passage in those lands of facts distortion. Couple to that it was found not contravening Islamic creed thus creating wider opportunities for redundant youths in all Egyptian cities to hurriedly pick it up immediately and move South ward of that glorified superior Arab nation where if something starts there then you don’t have to question.
After it gained considerable fame in Egypt and also realizing its repercussions they subsequently promulgated Parliamentary acts which barred it in public places as well as smoking during working hours but already it roots were now deepened in the Afro-Arab world largest slum known to as al Khartoum where 60% of its populace is idle according to International Labour Organization (ILO) facts finding research. As facts transfer, it rushed to its fertile zones of redundancy and idleness known as Southern Sudan after it was also barred by Khartoumers who had earlier on seen its negative contributions toward development. South was also its rightful place because it is a lawless and regional dumping zone of all sorts of junks discarded from all four cardinal points of the world. Prove me wrong if you can not see pictorial facts of young people smoking Shisha and drunk at 8.00Am in all our war torn cities of 21st Century which some people can either called our wrongful or rightful place of all kinds of illicit drugs.
Somebody might wonder of what a fake and vague idea the presenter is trying to bore him or her. Shisha is a hetero-practice of the jobless regardless of their age, sex; colour even skinned bleached people religious and region although few regions are found to be on the forefront in term of Shisha smoking. Analytically, Southern State Capitals bordering Northern Sudan emerged the worst meanwhile our Juba is also tallying behind them. Mathematical figures indicate that Bentiu Unity State where majority is supposed to be much busy leads in average of eight out of ten are idle and smoke, while five of ten does in Aweil, Northern Upper Nile is six of ten which smoke due to redundancy. And the prime reasons that accompanied the practice are that; their proximity to the North as well as frequent influx of Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Northern Sudan the second birth place of Shisha meanwhile other illicit drugs in used are also found dominantly along the Southern Sudan and East Africa.
It might sound vague and fake when not properly define but Shisha or (molasses tobacco) is a sticky dark-brown honey like substance which has partial sweet smell at a close distance. It is normally placed in a small silvered plastic plate metal connected with well decorated burette or long neck bottle resembles conical flask with water meant to reduce concentration of smoke which passes through while light grayish smoke comes out of smokers mouth and nose building cloudy environment around them.
It chemical contents and compositions remain illusive although researchers believed that Shisha provides its smokers with high appetite of all sorts of foods. While smoking (sucking), a person sweat severely which signifies relieve and displacement of natural body chemical energy through idle processes. Second to that, question of eating affinity of idle Shisha smokers who claimed to eat without work. What they eat remains unanswered question in the minds of mental realistic persons.
It started along the Arabian Peninsula amongst sailors who do overstay in the sea coldness while sailing to all parts of the world pursuing lucrative businesses hence; it found its way to modern Arab cities both in Middle East and Northern African cities of Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria and eventually into Khartoum by surprise. As a matter of religious facts and denials, Arab traders used it to substitute pure tobacco smoking and drinking prohibited by Islamic laws and Sharia which actually gave it unquestionable passage in those lands of facts distortion. Couple to that it was found not contravening Islamic creed thus creating wider opportunities for redundant youths in all Egyptian cities to hurriedly pick it up immediately and move South ward of that glorified superior Arab nation where if something starts there then you don’t have to question.
After it gained considerable fame in Egypt and also realizing its repercussions they subsequently promulgated Parliamentary acts which barred it in public places as well as smoking during working hours but already it roots were now deepened in the Afro-Arab world largest slum known to as al Khartoum where 60% of its populace is idle according to International Labour Organization (ILO) facts finding research. As facts transfer, it rushed to its fertile zones of redundancy and idleness known as Southern Sudan after it was also barred by Khartoumers who had earlier on seen its negative contributions toward development. South was also its rightful place because it is a lawless and regional dumping zone of all sorts of junks discarded from all four cardinal points of the world. Prove me wrong if you can not see pictorial facts of young people smoking Shisha and drunk at 8.00Am in all our war torn cities of 21st Century which some people can either called our wrongful or rightful place of all kinds of illicit drugs.
Somebody might wonder of what a fake and vague idea the presenter is trying to bore him or her. Shisha is a hetero-practice of the jobless regardless of their age, sex; colour even skinned bleached people religious and region although few regions are found to be on the forefront in term of Shisha smoking. Analytically, Southern State Capitals bordering Northern Sudan emerged the worst meanwhile our Juba is also tallying behind them. Mathematical figures indicate that Bentiu Unity State where majority is supposed to be much busy leads in average of eight out of ten are idle and smoke, while five of ten does in Aweil, Northern Upper Nile is six of ten which smoke due to redundancy. And the prime reasons that accompanied the practice are that; their proximity to the North as well as frequent influx of Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Northern Sudan the second birth place of Shisha meanwhile other illicit drugs in used are also found dominantly along the Southern Sudan and East Africa.
Let’s maintain government properties properly
By Atok Dan Baguoot
Unlike the formation of the government of autonomous Southern region after the 1972 peace agreement where resources were scarce, officials of the government then had limited resources to begin with. Few cars which were there were used in alternating phases. The only car which used to carry the President to the office had first ferried the Ministers to their offices earlier in the morning in order to give time for the big boss Mr. Joseph Lagu. Other government officials normally find their means to offices punctually.
Uniquely, Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) brought about by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) had many advantages of which technological advancement played pivotal role in its quick access to modern resources. Deputy Directors have personal government numbered plate cars which they can use even at their private businesses. Departments have variety of resources ranging from modern office equipments. Government has provided Laptop computers owned by head of different departments to ease tedious job of lap paper work with internet services where information is taped from office to office, although it has minimized job for office messengers.
Because of all these resources, government properties are highly being misused by none other than office holders in the name of many that will come. We treat ourselves when sick; likewise, veterinary doctors treat animals when they are sick also. What is wrong when we take good care of the government properties, why we are unable to repair government properties more so cars which are subject to weekend’s damage especially when driven while half drunk. It is this very government which we had been yearning, crying and disturbing the whole universe to have self determination which will soon never be a dream but reality. Taking keen interest on the little would give you hint on taking care of much. Sooner shall the other 50% of the oil share be given to us if referendum affirms separation as preliminary opinion polls always suggest.
“For in reason, all government without the consent of the governed is the very definition of slavery” said Jonathan Swift. It would be seen as source of evil slavery if we cannot take good management of government properties, if we cannot use properties as personal maximum care. We will be impoverished and economically enslaved.
From the period of 2006-2008, GoSS numbered cars formed 80% of the automobile machines on this few kilometers roads of Juba, but as far now, the number is dwindling on daily basis due to reckless use. And why because of I don’t care attitude mentality and mentality of not being held accountable. And why, more are coming, why because we are going away as independent state able to manage its own affairs. Taking care of your nuances is the genesis of independence and this actually defined why we don’t understand what needed where and when.
I’m bothered seeing all these Japanese machines wreckages littered ever where yet they didn’t come on their own. We opted to stay hungry and spent money on these tools in order to facilitate much we needed in the future. Let there be GoSS garages where these machines should be treated before their real expiration. Allow me overstep my duty in suggesting that, the government should devise means to punish culprits accused of mishandling public property on account that good care for long lasting management is achieved at the end of the day. The policy of you destroy it, repair it can best work here but this does not mean burdening our young innocent drivers who are up-to-date for their duties, whose leisure rights are infringed because they work up to bars at night. Weekend is not exceptional for them due to their docility. They go stay waiting for their bosses even if it is not working hours.
As a person in the heart of the government, pilfering of public properties is on high record without concern. Never blame our young parliament since it is a place where you go and sharpen your political blade for more political aspirations. It isn’t up to its mandate it was meant. Watch them coming back to second CPA’s parliament if they were for that job.
In fact, it sounds nonsense in the minds of few indulged but majority will agree with me that it is a frontline job. Let my colleagues of the SPLA department not sit back that they are nowhere to my discourse. Their red number plate cars are under severe extinction given the nature armies do their things, although they are much stricter in handling their affairs. They are smart but their smartness seems be fading away. To them Bilpam road has become the real rogue Bilpam path to Bonga in which most recruits lost their lives before facing the enemy back in Sudan. Bilpam road is killing most SPLA sophisticated cars before facing the real tough terrains at the country sites.
Lastly, computer virus has bogged down our machines in offices yet the internet there is being used for chatting with girls and boys friends more so youngsters called the dot com generation. Few sugar mummies and daddies informed are also chatting among themselves. Please my dear, extra use of internet apart from chatting, sending messages and accessing other crucial information is to active antivirus on our machines so that they do work efficiently. Computers in Southern Sudan Radio where am working is the pilot project.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio & TV
Unlike the formation of the government of autonomous Southern region after the 1972 peace agreement where resources were scarce, officials of the government then had limited resources to begin with. Few cars which were there were used in alternating phases. The only car which used to carry the President to the office had first ferried the Ministers to their offices earlier in the morning in order to give time for the big boss Mr. Joseph Lagu. Other government officials normally find their means to offices punctually.
Uniquely, Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) brought about by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) had many advantages of which technological advancement played pivotal role in its quick access to modern resources. Deputy Directors have personal government numbered plate cars which they can use even at their private businesses. Departments have variety of resources ranging from modern office equipments. Government has provided Laptop computers owned by head of different departments to ease tedious job of lap paper work with internet services where information is taped from office to office, although it has minimized job for office messengers.
Because of all these resources, government properties are highly being misused by none other than office holders in the name of many that will come. We treat ourselves when sick; likewise, veterinary doctors treat animals when they are sick also. What is wrong when we take good care of the government properties, why we are unable to repair government properties more so cars which are subject to weekend’s damage especially when driven while half drunk. It is this very government which we had been yearning, crying and disturbing the whole universe to have self determination which will soon never be a dream but reality. Taking keen interest on the little would give you hint on taking care of much. Sooner shall the other 50% of the oil share be given to us if referendum affirms separation as preliminary opinion polls always suggest.
“For in reason, all government without the consent of the governed is the very definition of slavery” said Jonathan Swift. It would be seen as source of evil slavery if we cannot take good management of government properties, if we cannot use properties as personal maximum care. We will be impoverished and economically enslaved.
From the period of 2006-2008, GoSS numbered cars formed 80% of the automobile machines on this few kilometers roads of Juba, but as far now, the number is dwindling on daily basis due to reckless use. And why because of I don’t care attitude mentality and mentality of not being held accountable. And why, more are coming, why because we are going away as independent state able to manage its own affairs. Taking care of your nuances is the genesis of independence and this actually defined why we don’t understand what needed where and when.
I’m bothered seeing all these Japanese machines wreckages littered ever where yet they didn’t come on their own. We opted to stay hungry and spent money on these tools in order to facilitate much we needed in the future. Let there be GoSS garages where these machines should be treated before their real expiration. Allow me overstep my duty in suggesting that, the government should devise means to punish culprits accused of mishandling public property on account that good care for long lasting management is achieved at the end of the day. The policy of you destroy it, repair it can best work here but this does not mean burdening our young innocent drivers who are up-to-date for their duties, whose leisure rights are infringed because they work up to bars at night. Weekend is not exceptional for them due to their docility. They go stay waiting for their bosses even if it is not working hours.
As a person in the heart of the government, pilfering of public properties is on high record without concern. Never blame our young parliament since it is a place where you go and sharpen your political blade for more political aspirations. It isn’t up to its mandate it was meant. Watch them coming back to second CPA’s parliament if they were for that job.
In fact, it sounds nonsense in the minds of few indulged but majority will agree with me that it is a frontline job. Let my colleagues of the SPLA department not sit back that they are nowhere to my discourse. Their red number plate cars are under severe extinction given the nature armies do their things, although they are much stricter in handling their affairs. They are smart but their smartness seems be fading away. To them Bilpam road has become the real rogue Bilpam path to Bonga in which most recruits lost their lives before facing the enemy back in Sudan. Bilpam road is killing most SPLA sophisticated cars before facing the real tough terrains at the country sites.
Lastly, computer virus has bogged down our machines in offices yet the internet there is being used for chatting with girls and boys friends more so youngsters called the dot com generation. Few sugar mummies and daddies informed are also chatting among themselves. Please my dear, extra use of internet apart from chatting, sending messages and accessing other crucial information is to active antivirus on our machines so that they do work efficiently. Computers in Southern Sudan Radio where am working is the pilot project.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio & TV
Projections of pools in Unity state
Atok Dan Baguoot
If these elections are to be free and fair, the outcomes would be marvelous, interesting and surprising because neither me nor you won’t like it and that is all about true democracy of the really democrats like what my senior college Nhial Bol called as democracy of non democrats. Nhial was actually right because the way SPLM nominated its flag bearers to contest in various positions indeed contradicted wishes of the marginalised that it had been advocating to grant justice, freedom and decent services.
It is an unfortunate situation in South Sudan that spade is normally called big spoon and spoon as tooth pick but if reality was to be there, they would have retain the original versions rather than that total iron. It is actually a simple task to fight for a just principle but hard to live to it. SPLM, like any other liberation movement on the continent had to experience interval power wrangling and contradicts itself in executing its principles. It was never a rare an unfortunate incident for SPLM but a normal phase encounters by any movement to get to its maturity in politics but it would be up to political party to handle its affairs without fear and favour among the cadres.
Nomination of candidates by the political party usually portray how united and mature is that very entity in handling its matters without favour and fear so long the party is guided by common ideology and believe. SPLM betrayed some of its powerful prominent leaders in the process of filing the candidates. In that concerted event, some leaders have seen themselves as being underestimated while other either got it as overestimated hence, internal rifts got conducive breeding ground.
This actually signifies by rampant independence of most of the former party strong diehard without blessing from the mother party which nursed them throughout their political life.
I would like to take us to unity state where the rift was at its peak since its grass root primaries in 2008 when the former chairman and incumbent governor Taban Deng Gai lost the chairmanship of the party to his comrade Dr. Joseph N. Monytuil Wejang, the current GoSS minister for Health in a disputed manner. In that election, division within the SPLM ranks was born in oil rich state and up to now the two gentlemen had never sat together as people bounds by the common ideology to shape the future of the party in that state.
These two gentlemen are from same Nuer tribe, well educated and patriotic and also from the same division according to internal geographical and political division that unity state used to be divided in sharing power. The two gentlemen polarized the state population in their own neo-ideologies contrary to common SPLM existing ideology of which the diehard of the party are supposed to adhere to. Public servants were assign job in the same favour. In fact, they became bipolar (two centres of parallel powers that never met) and SPLM became laughing stock.
Population from the two Dinka Counties was Tabanised and Monytuilised to the extent that daily bread for living is earned based on the two great ideologies. Now that Joseph Monytuil is no long in the competition in the post of governor according to the decision made by the party highest organ, political bureau and another strong woman has emerged as an independent candidate and given the fact that affirmative action is also posing its way into our political way of life, couple with grieve dislike of Taban Deng in the state. In reality, predictions of such a volatile even is always hard but with help of scientific opinion research, one can predict to the nearest. NCP has also filed a former governor, Paul Lily as their challenger. Masses in unity state are eager of change to the extent that they will violate the principle of better the devil you know than the angel you will know.
Nomination of Mr. Taban Deng as the SPLM flag bearer in the post of governorship is really a blow in the face to none other than but SPLM itself because it is contrary to what southern Sudanese masses fought for in two years to decide on the kind of governance and who to govern them. In the eye of true democrats, masses would have been allowed to choose who to represent them in a manner that respects both the party and masses. Imposition of leaders on people is what Late Dr. John Garang used to describe as regime of few cliques in Khartoum deciding on the political future of the Sudanese in their favour.
If this election is to be free and fair, and with mentality of change couple to Southern Ideology of leaning towards SPLM and if one is to be brutal frank, Angeline J Teny will win without doubt. Why? The population is tired, bored of Taban even when you just happen to say in Arabic (ana taban) am tired, people misquote it of Governor Taban. In fact, the NCP candidate will never win because Southerners are fatigued of North and whoever supported by North is definitely seen as betraying their cause.
Besides, that gender is an issue that needs special heed in today’s politics. In the current government of GoSS, there is only one woman out of nine men as governors thus, the three current women governor’s candidates are likely to win especially the Warrap and Unity state though Western Equatoria is somewhat still skeptical but based on her previous performances, she is to convince voters. They all come from three states found west of the River Nile in the South. One would have come from East of the Nile to at least equate well.
Back to prediction of the same pools in the election of other candidates to various parliamentary seats, state SPLM office failed to institute their electoral college hence, the whole thing was decided by the political bureau. Power sharing logic was applied to represent the two blocs between the Tabanised and Monytuilised affiliates and loyalists. Whatever did by the political bureau reflect the same ideology instead of personal contributions to the party. Equal numbers were nominated in all the counties representing bipolar as a mechanism of solving that deep rooted difference in the state.
Campaign will also follow the same chain so predicting the outcome of the election would only be determined by whose loyalists have the popularity but not party. Group affiliated to current governor would be accused of intimidating the rest while those others will cry loud of being denied access to polling centres. If SPLM was ready to have peace in that state, it would have nominated different candidate apart from the two as a smart way of defusing crisis but nomination of Taban was plainly seen as promotion of external hegemony over the state because there is no way somebody outside can recommend me as the best yet my kids and wife in the house differ in that recommendation and you insist that my family members don’t know me.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio & TV and can be reached at atokfuture@gmail.com
If these elections are to be free and fair, the outcomes would be marvelous, interesting and surprising because neither me nor you won’t like it and that is all about true democracy of the really democrats like what my senior college Nhial Bol called as democracy of non democrats. Nhial was actually right because the way SPLM nominated its flag bearers to contest in various positions indeed contradicted wishes of the marginalised that it had been advocating to grant justice, freedom and decent services.
It is an unfortunate situation in South Sudan that spade is normally called big spoon and spoon as tooth pick but if reality was to be there, they would have retain the original versions rather than that total iron. It is actually a simple task to fight for a just principle but hard to live to it. SPLM, like any other liberation movement on the continent had to experience interval power wrangling and contradicts itself in executing its principles. It was never a rare an unfortunate incident for SPLM but a normal phase encounters by any movement to get to its maturity in politics but it would be up to political party to handle its affairs without fear and favour among the cadres.
Nomination of candidates by the political party usually portray how united and mature is that very entity in handling its matters without favour and fear so long the party is guided by common ideology and believe. SPLM betrayed some of its powerful prominent leaders in the process of filing the candidates. In that concerted event, some leaders have seen themselves as being underestimated while other either got it as overestimated hence, internal rifts got conducive breeding ground.
This actually signifies by rampant independence of most of the former party strong diehard without blessing from the mother party which nursed them throughout their political life.
I would like to take us to unity state where the rift was at its peak since its grass root primaries in 2008 when the former chairman and incumbent governor Taban Deng Gai lost the chairmanship of the party to his comrade Dr. Joseph N. Monytuil Wejang, the current GoSS minister for Health in a disputed manner. In that election, division within the SPLM ranks was born in oil rich state and up to now the two gentlemen had never sat together as people bounds by the common ideology to shape the future of the party in that state.
These two gentlemen are from same Nuer tribe, well educated and patriotic and also from the same division according to internal geographical and political division that unity state used to be divided in sharing power. The two gentlemen polarized the state population in their own neo-ideologies contrary to common SPLM existing ideology of which the diehard of the party are supposed to adhere to. Public servants were assign job in the same favour. In fact, they became bipolar (two centres of parallel powers that never met) and SPLM became laughing stock.
Population from the two Dinka Counties was Tabanised and Monytuilised to the extent that daily bread for living is earned based on the two great ideologies. Now that Joseph Monytuil is no long in the competition in the post of governor according to the decision made by the party highest organ, political bureau and another strong woman has emerged as an independent candidate and given the fact that affirmative action is also posing its way into our political way of life, couple with grieve dislike of Taban Deng in the state. In reality, predictions of such a volatile even is always hard but with help of scientific opinion research, one can predict to the nearest. NCP has also filed a former governor, Paul Lily as their challenger. Masses in unity state are eager of change to the extent that they will violate the principle of better the devil you know than the angel you will know.
Nomination of Mr. Taban Deng as the SPLM flag bearer in the post of governorship is really a blow in the face to none other than but SPLM itself because it is contrary to what southern Sudanese masses fought for in two years to decide on the kind of governance and who to govern them. In the eye of true democrats, masses would have been allowed to choose who to represent them in a manner that respects both the party and masses. Imposition of leaders on people is what Late Dr. John Garang used to describe as regime of few cliques in Khartoum deciding on the political future of the Sudanese in their favour.
If this election is to be free and fair, and with mentality of change couple to Southern Ideology of leaning towards SPLM and if one is to be brutal frank, Angeline J Teny will win without doubt. Why? The population is tired, bored of Taban even when you just happen to say in Arabic (ana taban) am tired, people misquote it of Governor Taban. In fact, the NCP candidate will never win because Southerners are fatigued of North and whoever supported by North is definitely seen as betraying their cause.
Besides, that gender is an issue that needs special heed in today’s politics. In the current government of GoSS, there is only one woman out of nine men as governors thus, the three current women governor’s candidates are likely to win especially the Warrap and Unity state though Western Equatoria is somewhat still skeptical but based on her previous performances, she is to convince voters. They all come from three states found west of the River Nile in the South. One would have come from East of the Nile to at least equate well.
Back to prediction of the same pools in the election of other candidates to various parliamentary seats, state SPLM office failed to institute their electoral college hence, the whole thing was decided by the political bureau. Power sharing logic was applied to represent the two blocs between the Tabanised and Monytuilised affiliates and loyalists. Whatever did by the political bureau reflect the same ideology instead of personal contributions to the party. Equal numbers were nominated in all the counties representing bipolar as a mechanism of solving that deep rooted difference in the state.
Campaign will also follow the same chain so predicting the outcome of the election would only be determined by whose loyalists have the popularity but not party. Group affiliated to current governor would be accused of intimidating the rest while those others will cry loud of being denied access to polling centres. If SPLM was ready to have peace in that state, it would have nominated different candidate apart from the two as a smart way of defusing crisis but nomination of Taban was plainly seen as promotion of external hegemony over the state because there is no way somebody outside can recommend me as the best yet my kids and wife in the house differ in that recommendation and you insist that my family members don’t know me.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio & TV and can be reached at atokfuture@gmail.com
Let’s embrace unity to overcome these political hurdles in our life time
By Atok Dan Baguoot
Juba, 1st Aril. “To state the facts frankly is not to despair the future nor indict the past. The prudent heir takes careful inventory of his legacies and gives a faithful accounting to those whom he owes an obligation of trust”
In spite of all these political hurdles within the rank and file of opposition forces in the country as a respond to this current political turmoil fuelled by rigid stance posed by the National Congress Party NCP to make elections as something for national healing, peace is still needed so that the country is not plunge into untended war of selfish motives. This country is bigger than any of us whether it be a political party or individuals representing these organisations. For this reason, there could still be need to make war a history because we came from a very long way to where we are therefore, let our political decisions be guided by national interest since it is this very nation that gave birth to those political parties and without this political unfortunate country, this very confused NCP would never exist.
We the marginalised Sudanese especially the African ethnicities at the peripherals need to be much more cautious because all these trickery and dishonest politics would disadvantage us at the end of the whole saga, regardless of our geographical whereabouts. For the SPLM having pulled out of the republic presidential race at the last minute could possibly be seen as a kind of quite or even translated into so many possible reasons that are beyond my perception here, still our collective efforts as marginalised is of paramount given that referenda and popular consultations for the two regions of Southern Kordofan and Southern Blue Nile are on the political pipelines scheduled. SPLM didn’t quite; it would have quite in the battle fields.
If all marginalised were not people with natural short memories, we would have not forgotten why things go like that and we would not allowed our sons and daughters in the Sudan Arm Forces SAF up to now, a threatening element which the NCP uses to distort all national calendars in their myopic understanding of the Sudanese problems. Despite those political hurdles, what counts in politics is numerical strength which we already had. South alone in its mutative wars with proxy and auxiliary helps from Nuba people and Funj pressured rest of Sudan, whereas the recent political paradigm shift made by the Darfuris people provided the helm for the unity of the Sudan to approach elections as one united country.
It would never be far from the truth that the marginalised black Africans would embrace on their peripherals unity and wage a join war against the north if it is the Arab north that is the bottleneck towards national stability since century. And since it has become an eminent fact and crystal clear that descendants of Arabs in the Sudan don’t respect any legal agreement, the only way the will be able to grant others their dues is through genocidal wars, like what they had been advocating since then. I know genocide is bad but when everything reaches its saturated point, human mind becomes nothing but a mere rounded object on top of a person.
Therefore, it would be upon the aggrieved to devise means of rallying behind the SPLM and gain both cultural recognition and political momentum of brushing aside all that Sudan had been called a sovereign nation because this very sovereignty has no meaning if the country continues tortures its citizens in the name of abused sovereignty. Historically, Sudan has never exchange fire with any of its neighbouring countries but it has never rested in fighting its masses since independence. Having depleted all the former Soviet countries from firearms deals, it has shifted gears to bloody thirst China with poor human rights records in the same deal to continue killing its citizens.
Who is the target of these denounced chemical weapons acquired from China, it is the marginalised in the Darfur, in the Southern Blue, Nuba Mountains, let alone Southern Sudan. It would have been mechanized agricultural fields if not for the sake of God mercy. Whether be it scientifically, socially, economically and politically, Sudan will never be a country runs in the expenses of the under privileged as it used before, instead it will be smartly disintegrated into several ugly shapes based on who likes who and who hates who. Begin bidding for your option if you are from those northern marginalised.
Exceptionally, SPLM has bypassed all these premature hurdles thus, if life is to be normal before we could assume our political rights and privileges, there is a burning need to huddle together with the SPLM and echo at the top of our hoarse voices for our long detained rights. It is a factual evident that a right never defended by an owner is never granted on silver platter so, the only advisable remedy to our political problems in the Sudan is through the barrel of gun. Failure to do that, never think of signing any peace accord with the group within the description because there will never be a smarter document than the CPA and other accords.
I’m not trying to incite violence but a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people, so there is need to make people learn what is lacked and what is excess in order to pass correct diagnose of this long illness. I know we are political prisoners but there is a light at the end of the tunnel through SPLM.
Most of my senior colleagues in the profession do call me a journalist who has deviated from the ethics but I do tell them that the unlucky ones today in the South are those who assume adherence to the ethics of their careers yet their deeds is contrary to believes, unlike me who is openly exercising facts in a brutal frank manner. We will never heal from this infested historical wound unless we define why we cannot find lasting solution to the very always problem yet series of generations have been involved in correcting it. Inside us is a genetic settlement for less hence, our friend enemy explores and exploits deep within our corridors of alternatives.
We don’t do one thing wholeheartedly because of that inferior option. We have settled for tree top and ended up with tree trunk as the highest echelon of achievement leaving the whole sky to be explored by them. If all marginalised were my own kids, we would adorn in SPLM dresses and discard those few existing hurdles within the party with the objectives of dispensing a new chance for all the cornered Sudanese generations to aspire to inspire before our expiration dates so that a new legacy of hope is left for our kids and let that business of forwarding unfinished work to another generation comes to an end.
Finally, massive unity amongst us the marginalised would be the only outstanding strategy in addressing this confused political saga because what NCP is advocating for today is the establishment of supreme Arabs state in this country which none of us ever thought of calling it African Christian state due to its heterogeneity. What is so fanny about an Islamic and Arab state when we all don’t profess that chauvinistic shallow and selfish thinking? Let us swallow our internal differences and embrace one agenda because the current magnitude of this confusion will never know whether you are from SANU, UDF and forth but they know the language of hitting a slave with a slave when God who created everything has never created any of his creatures inferior. It is in this context that SPLM would always remain as a huge stone that we can gather around it and advocate for rights with unwavering and relentless efforts if issue of second citizen is to be a history in our life time. There shall come a time that everything shall come to pass but our identity shall never.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio and & TV and can be reached at atokfuture@gmail.com
Juba, 1st Aril. “To state the facts frankly is not to despair the future nor indict the past. The prudent heir takes careful inventory of his legacies and gives a faithful accounting to those whom he owes an obligation of trust”
In spite of all these political hurdles within the rank and file of opposition forces in the country as a respond to this current political turmoil fuelled by rigid stance posed by the National Congress Party NCP to make elections as something for national healing, peace is still needed so that the country is not plunge into untended war of selfish motives. This country is bigger than any of us whether it be a political party or individuals representing these organisations. For this reason, there could still be need to make war a history because we came from a very long way to where we are therefore, let our political decisions be guided by national interest since it is this very nation that gave birth to those political parties and without this political unfortunate country, this very confused NCP would never exist.
We the marginalised Sudanese especially the African ethnicities at the peripherals need to be much more cautious because all these trickery and dishonest politics would disadvantage us at the end of the whole saga, regardless of our geographical whereabouts. For the SPLM having pulled out of the republic presidential race at the last minute could possibly be seen as a kind of quite or even translated into so many possible reasons that are beyond my perception here, still our collective efforts as marginalised is of paramount given that referenda and popular consultations for the two regions of Southern Kordofan and Southern Blue Nile are on the political pipelines scheduled. SPLM didn’t quite; it would have quite in the battle fields.
If all marginalised were not people with natural short memories, we would have not forgotten why things go like that and we would not allowed our sons and daughters in the Sudan Arm Forces SAF up to now, a threatening element which the NCP uses to distort all national calendars in their myopic understanding of the Sudanese problems. Despite those political hurdles, what counts in politics is numerical strength which we already had. South alone in its mutative wars with proxy and auxiliary helps from Nuba people and Funj pressured rest of Sudan, whereas the recent political paradigm shift made by the Darfuris people provided the helm for the unity of the Sudan to approach elections as one united country.
It would never be far from the truth that the marginalised black Africans would embrace on their peripherals unity and wage a join war against the north if it is the Arab north that is the bottleneck towards national stability since century. And since it has become an eminent fact and crystal clear that descendants of Arabs in the Sudan don’t respect any legal agreement, the only way the will be able to grant others their dues is through genocidal wars, like what they had been advocating since then. I know genocide is bad but when everything reaches its saturated point, human mind becomes nothing but a mere rounded object on top of a person.
Therefore, it would be upon the aggrieved to devise means of rallying behind the SPLM and gain both cultural recognition and political momentum of brushing aside all that Sudan had been called a sovereign nation because this very sovereignty has no meaning if the country continues tortures its citizens in the name of abused sovereignty. Historically, Sudan has never exchange fire with any of its neighbouring countries but it has never rested in fighting its masses since independence. Having depleted all the former Soviet countries from firearms deals, it has shifted gears to bloody thirst China with poor human rights records in the same deal to continue killing its citizens.
Who is the target of these denounced chemical weapons acquired from China, it is the marginalised in the Darfur, in the Southern Blue, Nuba Mountains, let alone Southern Sudan. It would have been mechanized agricultural fields if not for the sake of God mercy. Whether be it scientifically, socially, economically and politically, Sudan will never be a country runs in the expenses of the under privileged as it used before, instead it will be smartly disintegrated into several ugly shapes based on who likes who and who hates who. Begin bidding for your option if you are from those northern marginalised.
Exceptionally, SPLM has bypassed all these premature hurdles thus, if life is to be normal before we could assume our political rights and privileges, there is a burning need to huddle together with the SPLM and echo at the top of our hoarse voices for our long detained rights. It is a factual evident that a right never defended by an owner is never granted on silver platter so, the only advisable remedy to our political problems in the Sudan is through the barrel of gun. Failure to do that, never think of signing any peace accord with the group within the description because there will never be a smarter document than the CPA and other accords.
I’m not trying to incite violence but a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people, so there is need to make people learn what is lacked and what is excess in order to pass correct diagnose of this long illness. I know we are political prisoners but there is a light at the end of the tunnel through SPLM.
Most of my senior colleagues in the profession do call me a journalist who has deviated from the ethics but I do tell them that the unlucky ones today in the South are those who assume adherence to the ethics of their careers yet their deeds is contrary to believes, unlike me who is openly exercising facts in a brutal frank manner. We will never heal from this infested historical wound unless we define why we cannot find lasting solution to the very always problem yet series of generations have been involved in correcting it. Inside us is a genetic settlement for less hence, our friend enemy explores and exploits deep within our corridors of alternatives.
We don’t do one thing wholeheartedly because of that inferior option. We have settled for tree top and ended up with tree trunk as the highest echelon of achievement leaving the whole sky to be explored by them. If all marginalised were my own kids, we would adorn in SPLM dresses and discard those few existing hurdles within the party with the objectives of dispensing a new chance for all the cornered Sudanese generations to aspire to inspire before our expiration dates so that a new legacy of hope is left for our kids and let that business of forwarding unfinished work to another generation comes to an end.
Finally, massive unity amongst us the marginalised would be the only outstanding strategy in addressing this confused political saga because what NCP is advocating for today is the establishment of supreme Arabs state in this country which none of us ever thought of calling it African Christian state due to its heterogeneity. What is so fanny about an Islamic and Arab state when we all don’t profess that chauvinistic shallow and selfish thinking? Let us swallow our internal differences and embrace one agenda because the current magnitude of this confusion will never know whether you are from SANU, UDF and forth but they know the language of hitting a slave with a slave when God who created everything has never created any of his creatures inferior. It is in this context that SPLM would always remain as a huge stone that we can gather around it and advocate for rights with unwavering and relentless efforts if issue of second citizen is to be a history in our life time. There shall come a time that everything shall come to pass but our identity shall never.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio and & TV and can be reached at atokfuture@gmail.com
Jongeli State should not just be a butchering zone
Atok Dan Baguoot
“Each forward step we take we leave some phantom of ourselves behind”, John Lancaster Spalding".
An initiative of peace and reconciliatory conference between the Murle and the Lou Nuer of Jongeli State to be held in Akobo is a constructive and a total developmental approach to bring lasting peace among the tribes in that volatile state which had been under constant threats of tribal and inter-clan conflicts since the inception of the government of Southern Sudan brought about by the CPA. This cross-board conference will do more helps if it is done to its expectations especially if all the influential citizens of state join wholeheartedly in addressing the conflicts from bottom up through its affiliated historical anchors and roots leaving no stone unturned for the well-being of the citizens.
Little beginning makes big ending therefore; nevertheless, other tribes would have been on board to usher the same direction but bear it that these two major tribes share some common features which distinguish them from their friends of Dinka, Anyuak/Anuak, Kachipo and other minor communities. All these dominant conflicts in Jongeli had not been part of the cultures of these tribes in the state but it had the sources where it was acquired. The genesis of these conflicts dates back to 1983 immediately after the birth of SPLA/M when different nations were raided and overran by external forces from the Sudan government forces causing havoc in all territorial vicinities of tribes. Subsequently, resistance emerged among remnants of Anya Anya 1 and 2 whose social bases were also disrupted by both the SPLA and Sudan armed forces to take over the control of the area.
Being the pathway to Bilpam, Lou Nuer sacrificed all their resources to the well-being of liberation directly and indirectly. Other neighbouring communities did the same alike. It is a clear fact that our movement was nursed using local resources and that why some communities like parts of greater Equatoria found it hard and termed it as Dinka and other tribes not in Equatoria affairs of looting their resources. It was people from greater Bahr el Ghazal and greater Upper Nile who responded promptly first to the SPLA war whistles. They were seen as revenging the Kokora when they first came to Equatoria. Likewise, areas of Lou Nuer, Murle, Gawaar and Gatjaak, while not forgetting Anyuak resistances to external depletion of their resources. But until late that the message was fully realized as something worth positive responds.
While, historical resistance of Lou Nuer to colonial governments’ also added flavour to fresh defenses of their territories. It was in Lou Nuer country that a first warplane was knocked down using big rounded-head stick. I might either sound naïve because of weak historical evidences and an exclusiveness of other nationalities whose contributions along the Bilpam ways overridden. The genesis of all these tribal conflicts stemmed as a respond to external aggressions. Each and every tribe was defending its resources and as a result that tribal myopic and shortsightedness rooted in the cultures of peace loving communities among the Southern Sudanese whom Arabs north now branded as anarchists unable to govern themselves yet it was due to their hash treatments which bred hostile habits.
Peace is among the rare gifts African religion is endowed. Hostility towards neighborhoods was deemed as a curse in one life especially when one does portray habits of jealousy, hatred and gossiping causing mayhems among people of different clans. In order to realize peaceful coexistence among tribes, there is need for joint and comprehensive participation of all the tribes and more so the participation of all the political class. To realize total peace, let all governments grant permission to all influential leaders, politicians, religious leaders, youth and everybody to have their inputs in ushering new era of peace in Jongeli. We are tired hearing news of deaths every now and then.
The impact of this postponed peace conference if done to its spirit shall be reflected in our daily affairs and it will be what our grand children shall praise us for. “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them”. For us to have a generation that survives the dreams of their founders, we ought to be more than just exemplary so that we are imitated well or end up being imitated as we do.
I know, it is easier to fight for principles than to live up to them but it should be within our core objectives that we exemplify our efforts so that we are not seen by our kids as selfish liberators who liberated not for the generations but for their own bottomless pits they never filled. As the slogan of leadership is to have visionary legacy, there is need for visionary legacy for Jongeli Kids too.
Lastly, the impact of the postponed peace if done later on would be nothing other than amelioration of sufferings of people. Jongeli state should not just be a butchering zone where precious innocent human beings are slaughtered like outcast creatures on no account but tribal incitement of which none benefits but all as victims. Bear with me that we normally regret equally whenever messages of deaths reach our senses so, why can’t we bear equal task to curb the vice wholeheartedly and rejoice equally. It is too useless to keep on blaming and pointing accusatory fingers to wrong people of bad omens which happen to us yet we are self witnesses. Let hold ourselves responsibly.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio & TV; he is reached at atokfuture@gmail.com
“Each forward step we take we leave some phantom of ourselves behind”, John Lancaster Spalding".
An initiative of peace and reconciliatory conference between the Murle and the Lou Nuer of Jongeli State to be held in Akobo is a constructive and a total developmental approach to bring lasting peace among the tribes in that volatile state which had been under constant threats of tribal and inter-clan conflicts since the inception of the government of Southern Sudan brought about by the CPA. This cross-board conference will do more helps if it is done to its expectations especially if all the influential citizens of state join wholeheartedly in addressing the conflicts from bottom up through its affiliated historical anchors and roots leaving no stone unturned for the well-being of the citizens.
Little beginning makes big ending therefore; nevertheless, other tribes would have been on board to usher the same direction but bear it that these two major tribes share some common features which distinguish them from their friends of Dinka, Anyuak/Anuak, Kachipo and other minor communities. All these dominant conflicts in Jongeli had not been part of the cultures of these tribes in the state but it had the sources where it was acquired. The genesis of these conflicts dates back to 1983 immediately after the birth of SPLA/M when different nations were raided and overran by external forces from the Sudan government forces causing havoc in all territorial vicinities of tribes. Subsequently, resistance emerged among remnants of Anya Anya 1 and 2 whose social bases were also disrupted by both the SPLA and Sudan armed forces to take over the control of the area.
Being the pathway to Bilpam, Lou Nuer sacrificed all their resources to the well-being of liberation directly and indirectly. Other neighbouring communities did the same alike. It is a clear fact that our movement was nursed using local resources and that why some communities like parts of greater Equatoria found it hard and termed it as Dinka and other tribes not in Equatoria affairs of looting their resources. It was people from greater Bahr el Ghazal and greater Upper Nile who responded promptly first to the SPLA war whistles. They were seen as revenging the Kokora when they first came to Equatoria. Likewise, areas of Lou Nuer, Murle, Gawaar and Gatjaak, while not forgetting Anyuak resistances to external depletion of their resources. But until late that the message was fully realized as something worth positive responds.
While, historical resistance of Lou Nuer to colonial governments’ also added flavour to fresh defenses of their territories. It was in Lou Nuer country that a first warplane was knocked down using big rounded-head stick. I might either sound naïve because of weak historical evidences and an exclusiveness of other nationalities whose contributions along the Bilpam ways overridden. The genesis of all these tribal conflicts stemmed as a respond to external aggressions. Each and every tribe was defending its resources and as a result that tribal myopic and shortsightedness rooted in the cultures of peace loving communities among the Southern Sudanese whom Arabs north now branded as anarchists unable to govern themselves yet it was due to their hash treatments which bred hostile habits.
Peace is among the rare gifts African religion is endowed. Hostility towards neighborhoods was deemed as a curse in one life especially when one does portray habits of jealousy, hatred and gossiping causing mayhems among people of different clans. In order to realize peaceful coexistence among tribes, there is need for joint and comprehensive participation of all the tribes and more so the participation of all the political class. To realize total peace, let all governments grant permission to all influential leaders, politicians, religious leaders, youth and everybody to have their inputs in ushering new era of peace in Jongeli. We are tired hearing news of deaths every now and then.
The impact of this postponed peace conference if done to its spirit shall be reflected in our daily affairs and it will be what our grand children shall praise us for. “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them”. For us to have a generation that survives the dreams of their founders, we ought to be more than just exemplary so that we are imitated well or end up being imitated as we do.
I know, it is easier to fight for principles than to live up to them but it should be within our core objectives that we exemplify our efforts so that we are not seen by our kids as selfish liberators who liberated not for the generations but for their own bottomless pits they never filled. As the slogan of leadership is to have visionary legacy, there is need for visionary legacy for Jongeli Kids too.
Lastly, the impact of the postponed peace if done later on would be nothing other than amelioration of sufferings of people. Jongeli state should not just be a butchering zone where precious innocent human beings are slaughtered like outcast creatures on no account but tribal incitement of which none benefits but all as victims. Bear with me that we normally regret equally whenever messages of deaths reach our senses so, why can’t we bear equal task to curb the vice wholeheartedly and rejoice equally. It is too useless to keep on blaming and pointing accusatory fingers to wrong people of bad omens which happen to us yet we are self witnesses. Let hold ourselves responsibly.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio & TV; he is reached at atokfuture@gmail.com
Lou Nuer is not all about killing
By Atok Dan Baguoot
Lou Nuer country of Uror County is situated in a fairly flat lands of the dry savannah grassland of Jongeli State and stretched adjacently northwest and north of the Murle lands while vertically north-northeast of Duk county. It also lays partially Southeast of Gawaar clan of Ayod County (Yod), whereas southwest of Lou Nuer of Nyirol County. It is characterized by scattered semi-arid thorny short trees which suit rural agricultural schemes. The land hosts thousands wildlife ranging from different spices of birds, other mammals as well as millions of domestic animals kept for cultural rituals, prestige and economical purposes, though it is partially rare for a Lou-Nuer headman to slaughter his animal for home consumption whenever there is hunger like now. Rare white ear cob is among spices found there.
Chieng-Dak (Dak-Diok) Land of Uror County is a country found on light black river fertile soils with few scattered acacia tree and other spices. It is a dry land from the look of things. Ninety percent 90% of the total population is illiterate. Few rural schools found there were constructed during war and post war. Construction of schools came possible after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). It used to be level four according to donors or UN agents operating in the area and up to now it still suits the language. Government of Southern Sudan Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin happens to be from there has contracted an Egyptian Company to construct Egyptian Complex School which still at the foundation now. “The first project ever in that area since creation” Dr. Marial said.
Efforts of few intellectuals in the area always remain unrealized because there are no old structures inherited as it happened all over Southern Sudan. These people are generally too religious although their religion perception is still centred on traditional believes. Christianity is deep rooted in Lou-Nuer. Taking mere drinking water requires serious prayer offering. All ages and sex are curious and receptive to new ideas but their old ways of live remains the central referral point of behavior to everyone in the country. On my way to Motot Payam, I met a group of young boys roughly age ten singing “Liberty for Boys” in deep Nuer accented English.
They love none boastful foreigners who do things in their likeness, speaking partial Nuer at least should be a medium. In spite of their arrogance when it comes to people who temper with them, Lou Nuer of Uror are still friendly and easy-smiles with everyone regardless of your origin. They are more oriented to donor relieving their conditions. In short, they have the mentality of dependent syndrome which I think was acquired during twenty years of war. Women are the backbone of the economy.
Despite all these Lou-Nuer of Uror County still have their negative nuances towards their neigbouring tribes of Jang (Dinka) and Jabe (Murle) and other neigbouring Nuer clans. Murle called them Jong-koth meaning warriors. Murle also called Bor Dinka as Mane-oti meaning yellow heads because of cow dung ashes smeared on their heads for decoration. They hate Murle and Duk Dinka more than any other persons near them.
Food security in Lou-Nuer of Uror County
The area was worst hit by the last year regional drought. Crops never yielded and water pools which water the population and millions of domestic animals had never had enough to run them through three to four month dry seasons. The dismay is that, Lou Nuer of Uror County is never in good terms with all their close neighbors. They have annoyed all their friends whom they depend on for water as their area is totally dry and dry. They are supposed to be in need of their friends more than anybody.
From the look of things, they would wish to have not created all those messes but no way out. In fact, the population is dying of hunger and thirst. The appeal is that, something ought to be done in time otherwise; things are tough for women, children and aged group. Able youth will either travel across region getting their ways to find water. The youth are armed to teeth with modern automatic rifles so they are able to penetrate through any territory but it won’t be possible. All traditional chiefs, elders and (Kume) or government authorities have convened and convinced these youth to handover their illicit weapons to government as they are source of sufferings to the masses.
As a matter of fact, Youth are more willing to handover their weapons to the disarmament team which is already on the ground but another alarming question is that, shall those whom they have quarreled with going to accept them come to their territories and if accepted will they be secure there if their neighbors are still armed.
This actually, answers the question of unanimous disarmament. Disarm Lou Nuer, disarm Bor Dinka, Gawaar, Murle, and Anyuak and up to Eastern Equatoria to avoid further infiltration of weapons once the exercise is thoroughly accomplished and continue naming many to disarm.
In fact, Youth in Lou Nuer of Uror County don’t like fighting their neighbors but competition over resources does compel them in aggressive act. Lack of pasture and water is the major reason above all given reasons. Passerby can see dire need of water. One of the youth leaders who attacked Duk Padiet told me how they hate Arabs and that Arabs cannot come to South so long they are alive. This also dismisses allegations that their ammunitions are brought from Khartoum and Khartoum sponsors all kinds of aggressions posed by the Lou Nuer Youth.
Lou Nuer youth are more innocent than perceived given the current political waves in the country. They only sing SPLA/M or thielA/thielM oyee in Nuer. The only government known in Uror County of Lou Nuer is the SPLM and Jongeli state government. Other political forces that form the government of Southern Sudan are just time wasting. The likely candidate to win in general elections in Lou Nuer later on will surely be an SPLM member. Everybody has SPLM table flag in his/her house including children. Political slogans begin with SPLM oyee, Jongeli State oyee and finally Dak-diok oyee. Traditional chiefs are the central agents of political success if one is to participate in politics in Lou Nuer, although Nuers have special fan on leaders unlike their next of kin Dinkas whose political might is on how social you are to the people. Nuers don’t discriminate but Dinkas do and that’s why more Dinkas are Nuer and few Nuers are assimilated into Dinka.
Lou Nuer is not all about killing but a place of peace and a worship as Nuer culture is all about. Prophet Ngundeng Bong was born there in the land of Bieh. It is a land of thousands of peaceful and worshippers whose life is deterred by natural calamities. Peace is all about what needed. Love is all about the order of the day.
I didn’t know what Lou Nuer was I until I made my four-day tour to the region and it was as four days in earthly hell if at all hell exists. It is a land lock country of thousands who move their ways throughout nights and days searching for change in life. The only exit and entrance now is by air. And the only question always asks by outsiders who visited the area is that: why there still closed districts yet the South fought for twenty years to liberate themselves from the yoke of slavery? The logical answer normally given by the concerned persons is that Rome was not built in a day.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio & TV and he is reached at atokfuture@gmail.com
Lou Nuer country of Uror County is situated in a fairly flat lands of the dry savannah grassland of Jongeli State and stretched adjacently northwest and north of the Murle lands while vertically north-northeast of Duk county. It also lays partially Southeast of Gawaar clan of Ayod County (Yod), whereas southwest of Lou Nuer of Nyirol County. It is characterized by scattered semi-arid thorny short trees which suit rural agricultural schemes. The land hosts thousands wildlife ranging from different spices of birds, other mammals as well as millions of domestic animals kept for cultural rituals, prestige and economical purposes, though it is partially rare for a Lou-Nuer headman to slaughter his animal for home consumption whenever there is hunger like now. Rare white ear cob is among spices found there.
Chieng-Dak (Dak-Diok) Land of Uror County is a country found on light black river fertile soils with few scattered acacia tree and other spices. It is a dry land from the look of things. Ninety percent 90% of the total population is illiterate. Few rural schools found there were constructed during war and post war. Construction of schools came possible after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). It used to be level four according to donors or UN agents operating in the area and up to now it still suits the language. Government of Southern Sudan Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin happens to be from there has contracted an Egyptian Company to construct Egyptian Complex School which still at the foundation now. “The first project ever in that area since creation” Dr. Marial said.
Efforts of few intellectuals in the area always remain unrealized because there are no old structures inherited as it happened all over Southern Sudan. These people are generally too religious although their religion perception is still centred on traditional believes. Christianity is deep rooted in Lou-Nuer. Taking mere drinking water requires serious prayer offering. All ages and sex are curious and receptive to new ideas but their old ways of live remains the central referral point of behavior to everyone in the country. On my way to Motot Payam, I met a group of young boys roughly age ten singing “Liberty for Boys” in deep Nuer accented English.
They love none boastful foreigners who do things in their likeness, speaking partial Nuer at least should be a medium. In spite of their arrogance when it comes to people who temper with them, Lou Nuer of Uror are still friendly and easy-smiles with everyone regardless of your origin. They are more oriented to donor relieving their conditions. In short, they have the mentality of dependent syndrome which I think was acquired during twenty years of war. Women are the backbone of the economy.
Despite all these Lou-Nuer of Uror County still have their negative nuances towards their neigbouring tribes of Jang (Dinka) and Jabe (Murle) and other neigbouring Nuer clans. Murle called them Jong-koth meaning warriors. Murle also called Bor Dinka as Mane-oti meaning yellow heads because of cow dung ashes smeared on their heads for decoration. They hate Murle and Duk Dinka more than any other persons near them.
Food security in Lou-Nuer of Uror County
The area was worst hit by the last year regional drought. Crops never yielded and water pools which water the population and millions of domestic animals had never had enough to run them through three to four month dry seasons. The dismay is that, Lou Nuer of Uror County is never in good terms with all their close neighbors. They have annoyed all their friends whom they depend on for water as their area is totally dry and dry. They are supposed to be in need of their friends more than anybody.
From the look of things, they would wish to have not created all those messes but no way out. In fact, the population is dying of hunger and thirst. The appeal is that, something ought to be done in time otherwise; things are tough for women, children and aged group. Able youth will either travel across region getting their ways to find water. The youth are armed to teeth with modern automatic rifles so they are able to penetrate through any territory but it won’t be possible. All traditional chiefs, elders and (Kume) or government authorities have convened and convinced these youth to handover their illicit weapons to government as they are source of sufferings to the masses.
As a matter of fact, Youth are more willing to handover their weapons to the disarmament team which is already on the ground but another alarming question is that, shall those whom they have quarreled with going to accept them come to their territories and if accepted will they be secure there if their neighbors are still armed.
This actually, answers the question of unanimous disarmament. Disarm Lou Nuer, disarm Bor Dinka, Gawaar, Murle, and Anyuak and up to Eastern Equatoria to avoid further infiltration of weapons once the exercise is thoroughly accomplished and continue naming many to disarm.
In fact, Youth in Lou Nuer of Uror County don’t like fighting their neighbors but competition over resources does compel them in aggressive act. Lack of pasture and water is the major reason above all given reasons. Passerby can see dire need of water. One of the youth leaders who attacked Duk Padiet told me how they hate Arabs and that Arabs cannot come to South so long they are alive. This also dismisses allegations that their ammunitions are brought from Khartoum and Khartoum sponsors all kinds of aggressions posed by the Lou Nuer Youth.
Lou Nuer youth are more innocent than perceived given the current political waves in the country. They only sing SPLA/M or thielA/thielM oyee in Nuer. The only government known in Uror County of Lou Nuer is the SPLM and Jongeli state government. Other political forces that form the government of Southern Sudan are just time wasting. The likely candidate to win in general elections in Lou Nuer later on will surely be an SPLM member. Everybody has SPLM table flag in his/her house including children. Political slogans begin with SPLM oyee, Jongeli State oyee and finally Dak-diok oyee. Traditional chiefs are the central agents of political success if one is to participate in politics in Lou Nuer, although Nuers have special fan on leaders unlike their next of kin Dinkas whose political might is on how social you are to the people. Nuers don’t discriminate but Dinkas do and that’s why more Dinkas are Nuer and few Nuers are assimilated into Dinka.
Lou Nuer is not all about killing but a place of peace and a worship as Nuer culture is all about. Prophet Ngundeng Bong was born there in the land of Bieh. It is a land of thousands of peaceful and worshippers whose life is deterred by natural calamities. Peace is all about what needed. Love is all about the order of the day.
I didn’t know what Lou Nuer was I until I made my four-day tour to the region and it was as four days in earthly hell if at all hell exists. It is a land lock country of thousands who move their ways throughout nights and days searching for change in life. The only exit and entrance now is by air. And the only question always asks by outsiders who visited the area is that: why there still closed districts yet the South fought for twenty years to liberate themselves from the yoke of slavery? The logical answer normally given by the concerned persons is that Rome was not built in a day.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio & TV and he is reached at atokfuture@gmail.com
Stop recycling political retirees in these elections
By Atok Dan Baguoot
“A free New Sudan cannot be ushered on the map of the free world without intensive pains that are the result of the delivering the child”, Hon. Elijah Malok Aleng. As we strive to realize a free New Sudan, we also need to bear at the back of minds that this little breathing space which we enjoy as far now was a result of enormous contributions exerted by some of our parents and colleagues who had fallen and maimed in the battle fields and who had also taken courage to deny and deprive themselves of all possible social aspects that constituted normal human happiness which is always the target of any person in life. Several wars fought in the Sudan were not just for the sake of cultural indifferences or anarchism but people had justifiable reasons to spend most of their active and productive ages engaging in one way or the other for a free generations and posterity.
Among those who had been denied childhood and youth-hood privileges are some of the current leading figures in the South and in other marginalised areas as the Sudan neo colonialism only engulfed all the Afro Arabs and Black African ethnicities in the Country. In the genesis of conflicts between the black African ethnic communities and the Arabs in the Sudan, Southern Sudanese championed in realizing that vague and fake independence of Sudan as it was signified by mutiny at the eve of the so called Independent in 1. 1. 1956.
Now that Sudan is at the eve of going to polls to determine who is that genuine political force or party to lead the country to referendum since those that had been leading this unfortunate vast piece of land called Sudan all got their ways into where they occupied through illegitimate means. This credit would rather go to one of them whose hands are purely clean from bloods of innocent citizens who had perished in all civil unrest and other related factors, started on the very day this country started fighting its own citizens for the greedy of ruling but not leading them.
Sudan had been ruled and harshly ruled by both internal and external forces dated back before independent and the worst part was done by our northern brothers hereafter the country was granted independence.. Sorry, none of the ladies in the north ever ruled so it was done by brothers alone. Our historical records and experiences shall always be the barometers of measuring the outcomes of these elections as well as referendum in the year to come.
Not even the ugliest of all the forces that ruled or ruling Sudan will dare to decline based on their historical misdeeds on the marginalised Sudanese. If I were a northern Sudanese and more so Arab descendants and even from a northern political force, I would decline from participating in these elections because they have really misruled, mistreated and mismanaged this country for so long to the extent that if history could speak it would have persuaded them to stand aside based on how interested they could be in the willful unity of this country and to see that a new dawn of hope and peace is brought to this country by a different body among the marginalised founded political forces whether be it in the South and other areas that fall within the definition of marginalisation according to Sudanese contextual used of the term.
But since politics is a trickery affair in Sudan, none bothers to heed to this national consent thus, everybody is fighting its way to either continue misruling or usher a new era of hope although, it would be upon the peace loving Sudanese and marginalised Sudanese as the country is layered by socio-economic injustices for so long to give who what so that children born within this era continue enjoying this relative peace brought about by either CPA and other related loop holed deals signed under this forceful reigned of NCP. It is forceful because NCP forced its way into leadership of this country like any other political party as far Sudan’s contemporary history. SPLM came in the same manner but it has some logical excuses.
Now, the daunting task before innocent blind voters in the country is that will they vote freely for the right instrument without being coerced as it used to happen or this free mandate still be manipulated by muscle strong body to continue looting and mistreating the unfortunate masses of the Sudan as it used to happen since independence, though my guilt conscious couldn’t allow me to use the term “independence” freely. Yes, independence is about hoisting up of that coloured piece of cloth and sovereignty in which you mistreat your subjects but also fundamental human rights, good governance and rule of law must be components to it so that it gives meaningful concept of the term.
Our voting in this historical election, couple with next year referendum would add flavour and a litmus test to our exiting unity, besides it being springboard to either perfect unity or separation if not disintegration of the Sudan into several states with ugly maps as the coordinates would be interlined running from areas of interest to make a solid country exists on a world map.
If these elections are not carried out in trustful manner, it will touch old wounds and expose this existing vague unity into ugly maps difficult for school children to draw, therefore, we can avoid it by adhering to democratic principles by allowing the winner takes what is rightful to him.
During the reign of those old Sudanese parties, ranging from the first party of independence up to date, Sudan had never had peace with itself so it would be wise to give this chance to a new party because new broom sweeps cleaner. Voting those old Sudanese political parties would just be recycling political retirees whose efficiency levels are already known according to their previous performances in handling affairs of this nation.
If our Arab northern colleagues are really interested in maintaining unity of this vast historical rich country, then they would have more reasons for voting the SPLM Presidential candidates whether be it republican presidential candidate as well as president of the government of Southern Sudan especially those northerners who registered in the South, while forgetting the rest of their candidates in proxies. I opted for the SPLM leaving SPLM-DC because leader of the SPLM-DC, Dr. Lam Akol is being seen as NCP candidate in proxy thus, a political minded Southerner with traditional hatred of North cannot vote for him and as a result it would widen chance of Sudan uniting voluntarily.
As a Sudanese interested in strengthening the existing unity of the country and in giving chance to marginalised Sudanese to quench their thirst of power denied them for so long, there is need of giving the leadership of this country to SPLM to decide its fate after all separation is not a preferred option among the Southerners when the world is pulling together for regionalization and globalization and we are never exceptional. Separation is always an option among the southern populaces because of existing negative cultural rigidity found in the minds of our northern colleagues who always consider themselves special in any arena. So it is a matter of making tainted unity more attractive to all the Sudanese regardless of their geographical whereabouts and dump all those previous nuances in the dust bin of unfortunate history.
For the sake of maintaining the greatness of this vast and diversified nation on the face of the continent, we always need to part with our ideological cultural deceits inculcated in our minds at birth by tribal racial confused elders and adapt global principles so that we are always what God gathered us on this piece of land. Late Dr. John Garang De Mabior used to say that we cannot be divided in diversity rather than be united in diversity because it is in diversity where our hidden strengths lie. The sole reason behind those powerful nations on earth is there vastness in sizes and populations so we can also equate Sudan with those because this very unity that our northern brothers brushed aside would one time be needed by them who made worse.
I believed in the theory of time for everything, so this is the only time we can put our broken of yesterday aside and open a new leave rather than using those broken pieces of yesterday to begin building on this new foundation yet we very well know that these broken would never hold us firm in this stormy season. To conclude this long argumentative thesis, I would like to tell my indicted president Mr. Omer Hassan Ahmed El Bashir and Comrade Dr. Lam Akol to stand aside and leave the arena for Yassir Arman Saeed and Comrade Salva Kiir of the SPLM to decide on where they would wish to see this country otherwise, the issue of the Hague International Court would be handled within by them because nobody can dare to penetrate our stick forests or ugly mud houses in Khartoum to come and take a person that our internal laws deem innocent. Or being resistive to internal adjustment of bad deeds done during those nasty periods would accelerate and activate warrant of arrest whenever Luis Mareno Ocampo sees that more atrocities are being committed in the name of sovereignty use to kill the citizens.
Lastly, those other old parties that have ruled Sudan those years have done their parts otherwise; there is nothing better they can do when they have not told the Sudanese why they didn’t do better when time was there for them to perfect their leadership styles and strategies. I prefer calling them recycling of political retirees to continue committing more atrocities because they the same Sadiq El Mahdi and Dr. Hassan El Turabi in the person of Abdallah Deng Nhial and many others of 1960s up to date. NCP is the ugliest face of old Sudan as Late Dr. Garang used to describe it. Meanwhile Darfur forces are still fragmented that future of this nation cannot be entrusted upon them and never dare to ask me because you know what is going on today in Doha.
Therefore, SPLM remains the only genuine and preferred choice of the day and not even SPLM-
DC because Dr. Lam Lam Akol is much used to defection that he will even forget and defect not knowing that he is the head of state. Birth of New Sudan has cost us more than two million lives which accredited to SPLM.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio & TV and can be reached at atokfuture@gmail.com
“A free New Sudan cannot be ushered on the map of the free world without intensive pains that are the result of the delivering the child”, Hon. Elijah Malok Aleng. As we strive to realize a free New Sudan, we also need to bear at the back of minds that this little breathing space which we enjoy as far now was a result of enormous contributions exerted by some of our parents and colleagues who had fallen and maimed in the battle fields and who had also taken courage to deny and deprive themselves of all possible social aspects that constituted normal human happiness which is always the target of any person in life. Several wars fought in the Sudan were not just for the sake of cultural indifferences or anarchism but people had justifiable reasons to spend most of their active and productive ages engaging in one way or the other for a free generations and posterity.
Among those who had been denied childhood and youth-hood privileges are some of the current leading figures in the South and in other marginalised areas as the Sudan neo colonialism only engulfed all the Afro Arabs and Black African ethnicities in the Country. In the genesis of conflicts between the black African ethnic communities and the Arabs in the Sudan, Southern Sudanese championed in realizing that vague and fake independence of Sudan as it was signified by mutiny at the eve of the so called Independent in 1. 1. 1956.
Now that Sudan is at the eve of going to polls to determine who is that genuine political force or party to lead the country to referendum since those that had been leading this unfortunate vast piece of land called Sudan all got their ways into where they occupied through illegitimate means. This credit would rather go to one of them whose hands are purely clean from bloods of innocent citizens who had perished in all civil unrest and other related factors, started on the very day this country started fighting its own citizens for the greedy of ruling but not leading them.
Sudan had been ruled and harshly ruled by both internal and external forces dated back before independent and the worst part was done by our northern brothers hereafter the country was granted independence.. Sorry, none of the ladies in the north ever ruled so it was done by brothers alone. Our historical records and experiences shall always be the barometers of measuring the outcomes of these elections as well as referendum in the year to come.
Not even the ugliest of all the forces that ruled or ruling Sudan will dare to decline based on their historical misdeeds on the marginalised Sudanese. If I were a northern Sudanese and more so Arab descendants and even from a northern political force, I would decline from participating in these elections because they have really misruled, mistreated and mismanaged this country for so long to the extent that if history could speak it would have persuaded them to stand aside based on how interested they could be in the willful unity of this country and to see that a new dawn of hope and peace is brought to this country by a different body among the marginalised founded political forces whether be it in the South and other areas that fall within the definition of marginalisation according to Sudanese contextual used of the term.
But since politics is a trickery affair in Sudan, none bothers to heed to this national consent thus, everybody is fighting its way to either continue misruling or usher a new era of hope although, it would be upon the peace loving Sudanese and marginalised Sudanese as the country is layered by socio-economic injustices for so long to give who what so that children born within this era continue enjoying this relative peace brought about by either CPA and other related loop holed deals signed under this forceful reigned of NCP. It is forceful because NCP forced its way into leadership of this country like any other political party as far Sudan’s contemporary history. SPLM came in the same manner but it has some logical excuses.
Now, the daunting task before innocent blind voters in the country is that will they vote freely for the right instrument without being coerced as it used to happen or this free mandate still be manipulated by muscle strong body to continue looting and mistreating the unfortunate masses of the Sudan as it used to happen since independence, though my guilt conscious couldn’t allow me to use the term “independence” freely. Yes, independence is about hoisting up of that coloured piece of cloth and sovereignty in which you mistreat your subjects but also fundamental human rights, good governance and rule of law must be components to it so that it gives meaningful concept of the term.
Our voting in this historical election, couple with next year referendum would add flavour and a litmus test to our exiting unity, besides it being springboard to either perfect unity or separation if not disintegration of the Sudan into several states with ugly maps as the coordinates would be interlined running from areas of interest to make a solid country exists on a world map.
If these elections are not carried out in trustful manner, it will touch old wounds and expose this existing vague unity into ugly maps difficult for school children to draw, therefore, we can avoid it by adhering to democratic principles by allowing the winner takes what is rightful to him.
During the reign of those old Sudanese parties, ranging from the first party of independence up to date, Sudan had never had peace with itself so it would be wise to give this chance to a new party because new broom sweeps cleaner. Voting those old Sudanese political parties would just be recycling political retirees whose efficiency levels are already known according to their previous performances in handling affairs of this nation.
If our Arab northern colleagues are really interested in maintaining unity of this vast historical rich country, then they would have more reasons for voting the SPLM Presidential candidates whether be it republican presidential candidate as well as president of the government of Southern Sudan especially those northerners who registered in the South, while forgetting the rest of their candidates in proxies. I opted for the SPLM leaving SPLM-DC because leader of the SPLM-DC, Dr. Lam Akol is being seen as NCP candidate in proxy thus, a political minded Southerner with traditional hatred of North cannot vote for him and as a result it would widen chance of Sudan uniting voluntarily.
As a Sudanese interested in strengthening the existing unity of the country and in giving chance to marginalised Sudanese to quench their thirst of power denied them for so long, there is need of giving the leadership of this country to SPLM to decide its fate after all separation is not a preferred option among the Southerners when the world is pulling together for regionalization and globalization and we are never exceptional. Separation is always an option among the southern populaces because of existing negative cultural rigidity found in the minds of our northern colleagues who always consider themselves special in any arena. So it is a matter of making tainted unity more attractive to all the Sudanese regardless of their geographical whereabouts and dump all those previous nuances in the dust bin of unfortunate history.
For the sake of maintaining the greatness of this vast and diversified nation on the face of the continent, we always need to part with our ideological cultural deceits inculcated in our minds at birth by tribal racial confused elders and adapt global principles so that we are always what God gathered us on this piece of land. Late Dr. John Garang De Mabior used to say that we cannot be divided in diversity rather than be united in diversity because it is in diversity where our hidden strengths lie. The sole reason behind those powerful nations on earth is there vastness in sizes and populations so we can also equate Sudan with those because this very unity that our northern brothers brushed aside would one time be needed by them who made worse.
I believed in the theory of time for everything, so this is the only time we can put our broken of yesterday aside and open a new leave rather than using those broken pieces of yesterday to begin building on this new foundation yet we very well know that these broken would never hold us firm in this stormy season. To conclude this long argumentative thesis, I would like to tell my indicted president Mr. Omer Hassan Ahmed El Bashir and Comrade Dr. Lam Akol to stand aside and leave the arena for Yassir Arman Saeed and Comrade Salva Kiir of the SPLM to decide on where they would wish to see this country otherwise, the issue of the Hague International Court would be handled within by them because nobody can dare to penetrate our stick forests or ugly mud houses in Khartoum to come and take a person that our internal laws deem innocent. Or being resistive to internal adjustment of bad deeds done during those nasty periods would accelerate and activate warrant of arrest whenever Luis Mareno Ocampo sees that more atrocities are being committed in the name of sovereignty use to kill the citizens.
Lastly, those other old parties that have ruled Sudan those years have done their parts otherwise; there is nothing better they can do when they have not told the Sudanese why they didn’t do better when time was there for them to perfect their leadership styles and strategies. I prefer calling them recycling of political retirees to continue committing more atrocities because they the same Sadiq El Mahdi and Dr. Hassan El Turabi in the person of Abdallah Deng Nhial and many others of 1960s up to date. NCP is the ugliest face of old Sudan as Late Dr. Garang used to describe it. Meanwhile Darfur forces are still fragmented that future of this nation cannot be entrusted upon them and never dare to ask me because you know what is going on today in Doha.
Therefore, SPLM remains the only genuine and preferred choice of the day and not even SPLM-
DC because Dr. Lam Lam Akol is much used to defection that he will even forget and defect not knowing that he is the head of state. Birth of New Sudan has cost us more than two million lives which accredited to SPLM.
Atok Dan is a journalist working with Southern Sudan Radio & TV and can be reached at atokfuture@gmail.com
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