Articles and Analysies
SALVA KIIR BETRAYS THE SOUTHERN CAUSE by Atem Mabior
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Jan 12, 2008 - 2:38:29 PM

SALVA  KIIR  BETRAYS THE SOUTHERN CAUSE

Since the death of Dr. John Garang the SPLM has been harbouring a serious internal fractious division. These contradictions came as a result of the emergence of two realities:

First, during the liberation Dr. Garang use the idea of the �New Sudan� as a strategic policy to attract northerners to the Movement and to divide the enemy. Second, the majority of southerners the idea of a new Sudan has become irrelevant since the CPA has provided for self-determination and a referendum in 2011. Hence to continue entertaining the idea of the new Sudan will be throwing away what the CPA has given to southerners � self-determination.

Contradictions and divisions within the SPLM were confounded by the weak personality of Kiir. His indecision has often swayed him between the two groups of opinions within the SPLM. At times he appears to side with the unionists and at other times he appears to agree with the so-called separatists. For southern separatists the primary purpose of the CPA is to deliver the self determination referendum in 2011. In their opinion the SPLM should work in close cooperation with the NCP so as to protect the referendum. Any bringing down of the NCP may jeopardise the anticipated referendum in 2011. Other northern political parties have been tried before and did nothing to give southerners their right to self-determination. Currently these traditional parties are openly against the south right to self-determination.

For some southerners, who are mostly former communist elements, in collaboration with some northern members of the SPLM, the CPA is to create a new Sudan . In their view this should be achieved by dismantling the NCP government and democratically reform the central government with the help of Americans and some progressive northern political parties. This group with funding from the US opposes self-determination and independence of the South. It is to be noted that in his last visit to the US Salva Kiir received $70 million dollars. The Secretary had in an earlier visit received an amount of $40 million. This money is to be used for working to frustrate the implementation of the referendum in 2011.

As the referendum date is getting close so is the deepening of the contradictions within the SPLM. Maximising on the weakness of Kiir the pro-unionist group are determined to purge the SPLM of all voices advocating for self-determination and independence of the South. The kangaroo-type of courts instituted by Kiir and the resultant undemocratic dismissal of two senior members of the SPLM, Telar Ring and Aleu Ayieny is the project of the Unionists group so that comes the next SPLM Convention, the voices for unity are more.

The saddest thing in this unfolding scenario within the SPLM is that prominent southern leaders like Kiir, Kuol Manyang, Atem Garang, Prof. George Bureng, Ann Itto, Kosti Manibe, have taken the bate of the unionists and have betrayed the cause of their people. New Sudan is the antithesis of self-determination and therefore against any hope for South�s independence. Self-determination is an alienable right of the South earned through the blood of our martyrs. All Southerners must stand up and condemn any one conspiring to remove this right. We call on the Salva Kiir to reign immediately as he has betrayed the cause of his people.

Atem Mabior

SPLM Veterans for Truth, London UK