Minnesota Branch of Democratic Forum Rejects Pagan Amum’s Call for Unity

Press Release

South Sudan Democratic Forum ( Minnesota Branch)

May 1^st, 2007

On behalf of South Sudan Democratic Forum Party, the Minnesota Branch is appealing to South Sudanese to consider the SPLM a party of Northern Sudanese rather than Southerners who are yearning for establishing a separate state in 2011. In his interview of April 30^th, 2007 with Sudan Tribune, Mr. Pagan Amum, the Secretary General of the SPLM, reiterated his party commitment to achieve unity of the Sudan. Although the SPLM is entitled to struggle for unity of the Sudan, it is the position of the Democratic Forum to inform the international community that majority of South Sudanese are not party to SPLM’s unity project. A survey conducted by the UN agencies in 2000 discovered that 95% of South Sudanese would vote for a separate state.

            Our party would like to dispel SPLM’s propaganda which alleges that South Sudanese support its call for unity. The truth on the ground in South Sudan can speak for itself without being distorted by the SPLM’s Secretary General whose relatives joined Anya-Nya One to fight for an independent South Sudan. Should an informal referendum be conducted in Upper Nile State where Pagan Amum hails from, there is no question that his own immediate family members will vote for separation. The question that Mr. Amum needs to answer is whether the unity project his party is encouraging is welcomed in Collo (Shilluk) Kingdom, let alone the rest of the South.

            As far as South Sudanese are concerned, any party whose primary objective is unity of the Sudan is considered in the South as an alien. Therefore, the Africans in the North who place their hopes on the SPLM needs to think twice because a party that cannot prevent separation of South Sudan should not continue deceiving the Nubians, Engessinians, Darfuris and the rest of Black Africans in the North that they would unite Sudan. It is also an affront to Africans in the North to join a party whose leadership has no support in the South. Why would Nubians, Darfuris, Bejas, etc, support Salva Kiir and Pagan Amum as their leaders while the majority of South Sudanese are going to vote for separation? When South Sudan secedes in 2011, Salva Kiir and Pagan Amum will pack their bags and move to the South leaving behind Africans in the North without a leader and a party.

            The fundamental truth in politics is to acknowledge reality on the ground. The Nubians, the Darfuris, the Bejas and the rest of our African brothers need to establish their own party that will take them beyond 2011. The SPLM will disappear as soon as the people of South Sudan exercise the right to self-determination. Why should Africans in the North put their hopes in a sinking ship? The SPLM leadership is composed of Southerners who can never persuade Southern Sudanese not to vote for separation. Mr. Pagan Amum has no power to coerce Southerners to vote for unity. If so, why would Africans in the North allow themselves to be deceived by Pagan Amum who will leave Khartoum when South separates?

            As a party whose objective is telling the truth, the South Sudan Democratic Forum urges black Africans in the North to form their own party rather than being bombarded with lies by the SPLM. We don’t want to see our African brothers in the North languishing without a party to unite them when South Sudan separates in 2011. There is no power in the universe that would prevent separation of the South. It is therefore reasonable for our African brothers in the North to establish their own party to assure their political survival beyond 2011. The SPLM is a party that has been deceiving the people of Sudan since 1983 and will continue doing so until our African brothers in the North realize that they are between deep blue sea and the devil.

            For God sake, we appeal to Mr. Pagan Amum to practice politics of honesty and stop using poor Nubians, Darfuris and Bejas for short political gains despite overwhelming evidence that South Sudan is seceding in 2011. Our African brothers in the North deserve honesty from SPLM since they joined the struggle that led to the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Politics of deception would not help resolve protracted conflicts in the Sudan. The SPLM leadership has a duty to tell the truth to Northerners that Southerners decided to separate from the North before Pagan Amum was born. The decision is irreversible and no one, be it Amum or Kiir, would be able to convince them to accept unity of graveyard.

For Contact:

Executive Committee of Minnesota Branch

Email: Southsudandemocraticparty@hotmail.com

Tel. (507)213-9153