Articles and Analysies
Now SPLM is speaking the right language By Nhial Bol
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Jul 15, 2009 - 12:46:05 PM

Now SPLM is speaking the right language

By Nhial Bol

During a live television programme last Saturday, the former government spokesman Dr Samson Kwaje defended the SPLM vision and its commitment to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

He admitted that there are obstacles facing the CPA because the National Congress party is not committed to the agreement’s implementation.

When asked if the SPLM will opt for unilateral declaration of independence, Dr Samson Kwaje said the SPLM will follow the CPA without renegotiations. However, he concluded that the issue of UDI will be the duty of Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly if the issues get worse.

Unilateral Declaration of Independence is only possible if the NCP pushes the South; the SSLA has the mandate of declaring unilateral Independence because it represents the people of the South Sudan’’.

If I understood Dr Samson well, I may be the first person to realize that there is a shift of language in the SPLM leadership. SPLM leaders have been keeping a low profile on the issue of UDI, but since Samson admitted publicly that SSLA has a moral obligation to declare UDI, we must take him seriously and very seriously because all other attempts may not lead us to the independence of South Sudan .

Our agenda is independence and we want SSLA to declare on Heroes and Martyrs Day this month, July 30, the day we lost our father Dr John Garang, our independence.

The idea of waiting for elections in 2010 and referendum in 2011 is a waste of time and a waste of resources. Since there is a change of language and change of understanding, the possibility of UDI should be made attractive to the people of South Sudan .

The aim of this article is to urge the SS:LA to gather courage and declare unilateral independence of South Sudan . If the MPs of the SSLA allow this chance to pass without UDI, they will go into the dustbin of our history. We will not forgive and history will punish them.

Having said these few words, I want to encourage Dr Samson and the SPLM to put their interests aside in a move to support UDI for the people of South Sudan .

Since the North is not interested in the democratic solution of elections and referendum, SPLM should rally behind the idea of UDI. Our army will defend it if the North resists it.

Dr Samson, now you are speaking the right language and your statement has gone into history. Our people have develop mixed ideas about SPLM because of its policies. It is high time for Dr Samson to inform the Northern spoilers who are in the SPLM that the attractive option for Southerners is UDI.

The author is the Editor in Chief of The Citizen.