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South Sudan: Returning Home and Challenges Ahead
March 1, 2008 — If you live in North America, Australia, Europe, East Africa or elsewhere outside the Sudan, you may contemplate of going back home. Question? How about the challenges ahead of you once you’re in your beloved home country?
We know that following the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005, members of South Sudanese Diaspora, who fled persecution, physical and emotional tortures, economic and political degradation, and denial of one’s self-direction and destiny, have now decided to move back home in large numbers. The recent exodus of educated and businessmen, who left and migrated out from the Sudan and resettled in various countries, notably, East Africa, Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, and some from Asia and the Middle East, shows their love for the land they never thought of leaving behind.
In every hour, day or week, Juba International Airport is daily swamped with a number of desperate South Sudanese intellectuals, priests, bussinessmen, and ordinary citizens who longed for years to visit their motherland that had almost disappeared in their minds and hearts. It’s, however, the CPA that has rejuvenated their spirits to go back. At least what is called home and the joy of feeling it is what matters for them. They are being “homesick!” In other words, as it’s said, “West or East, home is the best,” this is the very notion that prompts South Sudanese Diaspora to go back and to rebuild their country (note, of course, there wasn’t anything built to be rebuilt!). Everything is started from scratch, but the land calls its people to build it anyway. It doesn’t matter whether one will live in a house where air-conditioning is nowhere to be found and felt, or to not enjoy the luxurious lifestyle that’s pretty accessible and affordable in his/her host country.
Indeed, for the past 22 years going out of the Sudan was not a voluntary adventure for South Sudanese to seek better life and opportunities but involuntary—a forced migration which was a matter of life and death scenario for one to save one’s skin. In fact, they got necessary opportunities that were once denied to them in their respective host countries. But no matter how desparate South Sudanese Diaspora are, going back home where basic necessities of life are almost absent, it isn’t an easy decision for one to make. In contrast, social, economic and political insecuity, rampant corruption, nepotism and tribalism at home (South Sudan), on one hand and abundance and enjoyment of all basic opportunities such as education, accessible and affordable health benefits, secure jobs, and family, on the other, are very challenging and difficult choices for some people to make and choose from.
In South Sudan, they say, if you know nobody—a tribesman, uncle, or brother, for example—in top government ministeries, then you are nobody and, worse still, what you know is nothing or call that useless, if you like. Your merits—academic qualifications, skills, and work experiences—don’t matter. Then what next? If you’re patriotic in heart and in spirit and choose to endure the unbearable situations in Juba for example—be it emotional, psychological, political and/or financial—it’s highly likely that you might find yourself unknowingly a professional-turned a panhandler, who is in every sunrise waiting for a lucky employed buddy in juba or a blood-related new arrival from the West to invite you for lunch. Where to spend your nights is another story. All your accumulated savings you once had have dried up. Worst still, if you have a family left behind in the UK, US, Canada or Australia, this adds another psychological burden because before you left, you promised them some kind of assistance you will possibly offer once you arrive in Juba—knowing that you’re the sole bread winner; nonetheless, obviously the reverse is (will be) true and ugly.
Let’s take this another example. Ironically, though, consider that you’re just a recent college graduate (and without a thorough self-brainstorming) decided to go home by forgoing your post-secondary studies that might have been one of the many of your career goals; or already a skilled person with a whole chunk of academic titles, who quit a good paying job from private/public sector or respected academic institution (in case you’re a lecturer). But in Juba, now you find yourself and all you have—skills, experiences, everything—become valueless. You may feel betrayed by your very nation. These are few facts and experiences of the first-goers.
So if you’re now contemplating of going to South Sudan, in an effort of contributing whatever skills and experiences you acquired abroad for the reconstruction and development of your beloved country, you should think twice before aboarding a plane enroutes to Juba.
However, the negative outcomes of your premature ( not carefully planned) rush to our dear homeland, which I forementioned, should not discourage or dissuade you from returning home. But I think these only serve as precautionary tips that would make us (you and me) think twice. Here are some tips that any aspiring person who is thinking of going to southern Sudan would bear in mind and take into account:
- Plan Ahead: This means, make all necessary arrangements and preparations such as saving enough money that will make you self-reliant and independent, at least financially, to withstand the heat of unforseeable situation
- If you’re a family man/woman, let your family knows the costs and benefits of your mission
- If you’re employed or student, don’t quit your job or school because of false belief (or wrong information recieved) that South is rich and every educated person gets rich quick. Be aware of “Thokduelism”—that’s nepotism, tribalism!
- Go home for a short term visit. In case all things being equal or promising, go first to south for a visit and observe carefully how things work. If you feel OK and the environment is conducive for you, then stay there…if not come back.
- Finally, if you think Rome wasn’t built in a day and building a nation, like ours, requires sacrifices—be it physical, economical or political—then you’re the man for such an unpredictable mission. I salute you for having that “will” and determination to sacrifice anything for the well-being of your nation. Basically, it’s a duty bound mission for each and every one of us to make a difference from within, not from without.
The author lives in Calgary, Canada. He holds a BA (Honours) in Political Studies, University of Saskatchewan and now pursues his Master’s degree at the University of Calgary. He can be reached at dyiec@hotmail.com.
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Fabricating Excuses of SPLM for paving it Way to an Endless Ruling, Schisms and Corruptions
February 18, 2010
By Deng T. Liem
Per Sudan general election campaign has begun on February 13, 2010 the SPLM minority cliques throughout the globe are disseminating fabricating excuses and toothless threats for trying to galvanize vast supporting among people of south irrespective of political affiliation to vote for SPLM presidential Candidate Salva Kir. By describing him as sorrow incompetent leader who failed to rule the south for the last five years, but with no choices to leave with, the people of south must take deep breaths and forgive his dreadful incompetence and rally behind him as we are yet reaching our final destination. This above statement is what I call fabricating excuses on one hand and should Dr. Lam secures enough to campaign in the south on other hand is what I call toothless threats. As they are baselessly accusing SPLM-DC as NCP agent and anti-independence south in which none of these fabricating allegations is materialized as one of the SPLM-DC business.
Therefore, Dr. Lam Akol SPLM-DC Chairman and GoSS hopeful presidential candidate who is articulated competent leader and trusting son of south to lead the south to it final destination must need to step down from contesting GoSS presidency post against Lt. Gen Salva Kir. Arguing that, Dr. Lam Akol candidacy will divide the south to its worst standard without hesitation. And that division will diminish our chances to win CPA of (2005) against the north. This proving that, the SPLM minority cliques are using fabricating excuses for paving it way to an endless ruling, schisms and corruptions in the south.
The fundamental question is why would the Candidacy of Dr. Lam Akol who has never involved in all these unprecedentedly ill-corruptions, schisms and widespread insecurities in the south Sudan and forefront in a fight for rights to self-determination for people of South Sudan will divide the south and not controversial President Salva Kir candidacy? That surely will add enough devastations to south’s current fathomless occurrences, the people of south have been experiencing from President Salva Kir’s hoax leadership for the last five years. While, the people of south Sudan are daring to install fresh administration free from undemocratic ruling and corruptions come May of 2010 to rebuild trusts and respects among ourselves to make future pending vital reconciliations functional once again.
In the whole world, democracy is about equal representations, free speeches and freedom of expressions to ease affirmative national debates to find compelling common grounds for citizens to govern themselves in good manners. The dark side of these fabricating excuses and accusations by the SPLM minority cliques which may obligate the people of south Sudan to vote for sole presidential candidate on ballot are gross violations of the democratic practices in the south. It will be unprecedented for the people of south Sudan to go to the polls in April Elections voting for solely presidential candidate on ballot. For us to be proud of our new democratic way of life in the south is whenever we have to go to the polls to vote, we have to vote for more than one candidate on ballot for sole position. That would be the pure democratic system we need in our young south Sudan nation.
Undermining democratic transformation in south Sudan must be aggregately mistaken the south has never committed. Voting for only one candidate on ballot is not democracy, but monarchy system that is only embracing by authoritarian leaderships somewhere in the world; however, the South cannot opt to adopt such undemocratic practices since we fought to have democratic system for quiet long time. The idea of solely candidacy that SPLM minority cliques are seriously pushed to work is opting only for monarchy practices that contrary to merit objectives the SPLM had fought about for more than two decades in the bush.
The following paragraphs are forging reasons, why I think SPLM minority cliques are widely disseminating fabricating excuses and accusations to obligate the people of south to vote only for sole GoSS presidential candidate on ballot come April election.
First, the main reason for fabricating excuses lead to above question is that the SPLM loses supporting among people of south Sudan currently on the grounds due to fathomless corruptions, widespread insecurities throughout semi-autonomous region and bitter schisms instigated by tribal practices. Secondly, the long-path of communism ideology allows SPLM minority cliques to resist pure, civilize, fair and balance appropriate public debates among indigenous people of south Sudan to find prestigious loopholes suit best for inclusive economy, security and retirements of bitter schisms in South Sudan. Thirdly, SPLM minority cliques prematurely use fabricating excuses as bedrock tactical to scaremonger southerners that multiple parties system and unequivocal democratic practices are odds with semi-autonomous government; nonetheless, these would ruin our chances for independence south Sudan and etc come 2011 referendum.
The above blatant misleading claims illustrating political obstacle SPLM minority cliques are facing at this crucial moment. They advocate fears among people of south for trying to dig out themselves in deepening holes, they dag themselves in for five year. While, it seemed that it is too late for them to survive these political malfunctioning upsetting entire population of the south with exception of few minority cliques who are disseminating fabricating excuses and lies among people of south Sudan. Adding to overall old-fashioned fabrication SPLM minority cliques are wrongly inflicted on coalition of South Political Alliances Parties and portrayed it to be agent of its osteoporosis National Congress Party (NCP). That the coalition was rightly disputed as political motivated fabrications against it due to fact that the coalition has never posed any political marriage with National Congress Party (NCP). In this case, it deemed necessary that the SPLM is sole impediment against peace and reconciliations among southerners whom aiming and worrying are for prevailing of self-determination referendum in 2011.
Hon. Yasir Saeed Arman is the first worst among these controversial minority cliques of SPLM unionists whom political aims are for Hon. Yasir Saeed Arman to win Sudan presidential election and find necessary loopholes to advocate the importance of united secular Sudan to the suffering people of south that is not longer the case for southerners at this moment. The current Internet Polls Survey conducted by sudantribune site started on Sunday February 14, 2010 shows the Independence south leads over unity with north 83.3% to 16.5% among 5314 participants. The polls will remain open throughout the week and we can see whatever changes may take places daily. The fair question is this, who is going to vote for Candidate Hon. Yasir Saeed Arman in northern Sudan? Based on appropriate perspective, this is another monstrous political blunder of the SPLM to nominate Hon. Yasir Saeed Arman as its presidential candidate compared to poor SPLM candidates selections that caused multiplicity of Independence candidates with in the SPLM.
According to the same sudantribune polls survey, the people of south are highly indicated that they will not waste time, money and energy to vote for Hon. Yasir Saeed Arman who his political aspiration contrary to theirs. The people of south are barely differentiating the different between Hon. Yasir Saeed Arman and embattled President Oman Al-Basher. Both men are Arabs bigotries and unionists. The mild different between the two men blackmailed the south public is fact that Hon. Yasir Saeed Arman was deprived by his political guilt in the north and joined the south liberation movement since SPLM/A was initially fought for the liberation of free and fair united Sudan, while, onslaught President Al-Basher and his likes were busy in Sudanese Capital slaughtered and looted the country natural resources to keep up with unprofessional work against marginalized Sudanese. Endured bush life along with Hon. Yasir Saeed Arman will not be the case for him after he gets elected president. This describing as wolf is walking in cheap clothing. The mild bigotry will return into dreadful bigotry like his likes when his dream becomes reality.
If SPLM SG Hon. Pagan Amum Okiech was being able to hire a firm and conducted the polls survey in south Sudan before Hon.Yasir Saeed Arman nomination was finalized by National Election Commission (NEC) and asked random sample, if they were aware of Hon. Yasir Saeed Arman and his likes were being SPLM/A commanders during liberation and only if they were aware of that fact. Ninety nine percents of that sample would response negatively to that polls question and absolutely said no, but fewer politicians among us would response positively to that. Hence, Hon. Yasir Saeed Arman nomination for SPLM presidential ticket would have been reconsidered.
With no doubts, the SPLM unity advocators have already missed their appropriately chances to rule New Sudan six months after April Elections due to fact that Hon. Yasir Saeed Arman will lose April 11, 2010 election. With no blaming, the people of South Sudan are definitely hesitating to vote for new SPLM Arab president who the West Peace Brokers will use as strong reason against south to secede after successful 2011 referendum. Since, the SPLM has a perpetual dream in its whole lifetime to create sole New Sudan where everything would be possible for all it citizens. I will not blame the people of south for their wise decision not to vote for Hon. Yasir Saeed Arman for two reasons. First, the West Peace Brokers will not differentiate the different between south and north SPLM political objectives, which will make it difficult for south to secede in 2011. Second, the people of south will stick with President Al-Bashir who had shown them altruism to sign CPA of (2005) with the south. That has given south six years interim period to rule herself and later vote to secede after 2011 referendum.
It’s worth saying that, the virtue majority of the SPLM-DC supporters and sympathizers are much more separatists than the SPLM minority cliques who are daily contradicting with factual facts engulfing the south interests. Therefore, the SPLM has been discovering under cover-up of misleading campaigning that contrary to fundamental rights and interests of the south.
There are disintegrators minority cliques of SPLM who have been continuously asking bogus question, why the SPLM-DC only run for GoSS presidency and not for national presidential ticket? The fundamental answer to this question is this, the SPLM-DC is placed to rescue south from inevitable extinction under cripple leadership of SPLM Chairman President Salva Kir. Hence, the SPLM-DC would waste no time to lead the whole Sudan when it is no longer the case for the people of the south. The worth acquiring tasks from genuine leader in the south is for him/her to work for the welfares of the south. The flips-flopping, bickering and status quo are not way forward to build helm south Sudan country, but firm listening to one another in utmost good faiths, cooperation and the rules of laws will do it for us.
Back to the topic in questions, for the SPLM to win handily in April Elections, it needs to avoid strong challengers contesting against it unpopular candidates, especially in the south and those strong challengers are appeared to be SPLM-DC and Independence Party (IP). The fears for SPLM to lose April elections have echoed since launching of SPLM-DC on June 6, 2009. The mysterious fears currently grow even stronger in the aftermath of the SPLM poor candidates selections that created popular Independence party (IP) contestants candidates against unpopular SPLM Candidates.
The SPLM SG Hon. Pagan Amum Okiech has conceded that there were serious irregularities occurred in nominations process for trying to calm down popular Independence candidates to step aside from contesting elections against their unpopular colleagues SPLM Candidates. That turned out not the case from popular Independence Candidates who vowed not to step down, instead they were asking for SG Hon. Pagan Amum Okiech to step down as SPLM SG for sake of party unity. The SG Hon. Pagan Amum has also accepted calls to resign, but demanded the Independence candidates to step aside before he would take that measure to step down as party Secretary General (SG) claimed party unity. The unbearable dispute still not resolved between SG Pagan Amum and Independence candidates. Eventually, the Political Bureau (PB), the highest office of SPLM has expelled Independence candidates from party memberships saying that they have dismissed themselves from the party by not complied with party nomination process. Therefore, emerging of SPLM-DC and fractures in SPLM ignited by poor candidatures selections process are driving it minority cliques even more crazies than ever.
The answer to previous statement above as was, should Dr. Lam must step down, absolutely no. The SPLM-DC Chairman Dr. Lam Akol and GoSS hopeful presidential candidate is not going to step down from contesting against Lt. Gen President Salva Kir because the south is in serious need for an urgency fresh leadership that will recuperate it from major extinction. The SPLM has failed to govern itself as party. How come it will enable to govern the whole south at that crucial moment when genuine need for sincerely leadership to lead us to final destination is overwhelming? President Salva Kir and his minority cliques have tried their capacities to govern the south, but horribly failed to manage the south affairs due to corrupt mentalities. Today, it is a high time for the people of south to vote in office competent leader like Dr. Lam Akol to govern our south affairs with self-discipline and integrity thereafter April election. Meanwhile, we will, however, vote out incompetent leaders like President Salva Kir and his likes who have miserably failed to govern and send them back to Gogrial and elsewhere they belong.
It would have been unwise decision from Hon. Dr. Lam Akol, if he would have been dragged out from contesting for GoSS presidency due to fabricating excuses and toothless threats mourning daily by SPLM minority cliques when the south is dying for need of superb leadership to rescue it from disarraying. Dr. Lam Akol is only stronger and brilliant leader has left to lead us after Late Hero Dr. John Garang De Mabior laid to rest in the aftermath of Helicopter crashed in July 2005 twenty one days after he became First Vice President of Sudan and president of semi-autonomous government of South Sudan (GoSS). Dr. Lam Akol has been proved by all Sudanese citizens as only southerner who would standstill north’s old bigotries whose political aspirations have been slaying the south to it last worst standard today. Dr. Lam Akol is well educated southerner likes Dr. John Garang and Dr. Riek Machar who had endured bush life to liberate south from north oppressors. With no doubts, Dr. Lam Akol will stand to take thoroughly negotiations on behalf of southerners to north oppressors and would not be just rhetoric as done by President Kir administration.
Based on Dr. Lam Akol phone interview with “Editor of SSN” published by (southsudannation website on February 14, 2010), Dr. Lam Akol has strongly unveiled his sincerely arguments toward both NCP and the SPLM for shying away from discussing post-referendum issues for the people of South to understand its implications. Due to his relevant stands on important issues, I understand very well that only Dr. Lam Akol will take serious discussions, if elected GoSS president, to President Al-Bashir or whoever won April national presidential election and discussing all the implications of CPA ranging from south-north borders demarcations all away through south-south borders demarcations. This wills standstill perpetual feuds between south states and inter-sectional feuds among south tribes instigated by land snatching and properties garnishing. Dr. Lam Akol would sufficiently educate the people of south to know their rights when it comes to self-determination issue. Unlike President Salva Kir and his current GoSS administration has barely done nothing to educate the people of south, but fooling us to vote for Hon. Yasir Arman for national presidential ticket that will jeopardy our rights to Self-determination to secede as gate way for us to secede after 2011 referendum.
Finally, we, the people of south are not foolish enough to derail our golden chances by voting for the same old status quo that corrupted our semi-autonomous government. It’s worth mentioning that, the people of South will instead votes in office fresh leadership that will heal south from imminent extinction. Dr. Lam Akol is only one candidate in this race who promised to taking care our martyrs’ families and wounded heroes whom GoSS under slacking leadership of SPLM has omitted. When Dr. Lam Akol gets elected and sworn in GoSS president, he will form unity government comprised of all south political parties and equal representations from all walks of life in south will be inevitable.
Dr. Lam Akol vowed to establish peace and stability to end perpetual ongoing tribal conflicts in south and pledged to pay SPLA arms their full share of salaries regularly. In fact, the majority of experienced SPLA fighters hailed from bush shrunk away from serving in SPLA to taking cares for their families because the administration of President Salva Kir has not paid them yet their full shares of salaries regularly “as pay as you go method” to feed their children. Meanwhile, their colleagues whom are serving as officials with GoSS have taken their children abroad to get healthy diets and substantial educations.
Lastly, our votes are opting for choosing competent leader who can get the job done when sworn in after election. Diverting next beautiful five years into gloomiest last five years would be grave mistaken. The people of south Sudan will test their tougher choices in first time ever to choose our president who will only work to serve our vital interests and needs for ourselves, our children and generations to come. Hence, our votes are smarter, sharper, and healthier than corruption, nepotism, schism and favoritism. Tribalism doomed to end and United South Sudan Nation moving forward.
The author is political activist living in the Unites States. He Holds BS in Business Economics. He is reachable @ dengliem2009@yahoo.com