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SPLM-DC was formed out of fear for the future By Simon Riek Gatluak
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Jul 5, 2009 - 2:59:45 AM

SPLM-DC was formed out of fear for the future

By Simon Riek Gatluak

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July/05/2009

After the fall of Mengistu regime in 1991, most Sudanese concluded that was the demise of SPLA/M as Ethiopia was believed to be the only seat of SPLA/M. The period was hard to bear because it created a state of fear, chaos, hopelessness, and despair. As a result of that fear, majority of Sudanese and Southern Sudanese left Ethiopia for Sudan in which the end of SPLA/M was confirmed to take place in early 1992 by the Khartoum regime. To put an end to the SPLA/M, Khartoum regime began to mobilize millions of mujaheedins and placed them into military trainings with promises that their way to paradise is in Southern Sudan. The slogan of these mujaheedins was to destroy SPLA/M and capture or killed John Garang, which had, intensifies the state of fear within the moments. This fear of imminent destruction of SPLA/M by Khartoum regime has infiltrated the hearts of some high-ranking SPLA/M officers and began to look for the alternative. Despite obvious success of the SPLA/M in the battle field, these officers devised a plan to joint the enemy before the destruction of the SPLA/M which was believed to be only some days a way. The architect and engineer of this unpredictable move was Dr. Lam Akol whose state of loyalty to the moment was questioned four years after joining the movement.

At the time of this plan, SPLA/M was in control of all parts of Southern Sudan with the exception of Juba, Wau, and Malakal, which the enemy was deserting. There was high spirit among those who took up arms and fighting was taking place in all corners of the Sudan. Driven by commitment and self-sacrifice for their fellow marginalized Sudanese, SPLA forces liberated 95% of Sudan within a very short time. This victory did not prevent Dr.Lam from seeking safety and hope for exemption from disaster that he has envisioned as coming upon the SPLA/M. To play their card successfully, Khartoum regime sent out their diplomats to wherever they could find senior members of SPLA/M. This tactic was very successful after they found Dr. Lam who had promised to them his defection from the SPLA/M after many deals and promises from these diplomats. As a result of his previous disloyalty to the cause of liberation and reinforced by these deals, Dr. Lam questioned the unity of SPLA/M under John Garang that he finally found to be none existent; and came to the conclusion that a more united SPLA/M will be created. This was to justify his move and cause confusion within the SPLA/M under the wise leadership of John Garang and the hope of getting others senior members of the moment. All these moves of Dr. Lam came as a result of fear for the future and hope of gaining favor in the eye of the enemy after the fall of SPLA/M that he had predicted.

Surprisingly, on August 28/1991, Nasir declaration was announced bearing the name SPLA/M-United. Dr. Lam being wise or so, avoided to be the chairman of the new faction, but placed Dr. Riek Machar as the chairman and remained to be the steering for the top man. The news of the defection was received with great joy by Khartoum regime and a national holiday that lasted for three days was declared all over Khartoum controlled areas to thank Hala or God for dividing the SPLA/M. For sure Khartoum regime has something to be thankful for because 95% of the Sudan was under the SPLA/M control and division within this strong moment under visionary leader John Garang was indeed their rescue. On his part, the chairman of SPLA/M Dr. John Garang who was in Kapoeta at the time of the announcement concluded that it was Dr. Lam Akol who did all these and assured the SPLA/M forces that we will remain strong and all defected forces will come back to the SPLA/M rank and file. An unimaginable damage was done to the moment after the formation of Nasir faction; and as a result, the SPLA/M was dislodged from all liberated areas in 1992, because the new faction joint forces with Khartoum regime, which fought against the SPLA/M in all corners of the Sudan. Mass killings were carried out by Mujaheedins in all parts of Southern Sudan with the help of Nasir faction or SPLA/M-United. The moment was taken from 95% control to only 20% defensive tactics. There was too much confusion, anarchy, fear, and questions about SPLA/M survival. Perhaps, Dr. Lam’s prediction might have come to reality; however, this short-lived success of Khartoum regime did not destroyed the SPLA/M vision and determination under the leadership of John Garanag. The fear of SPLA/M destruction that Dr. Lam had predicted earliest and prompted him to escape it was defeated and in 1994, SPLA/M started a new liberation that lasted for another eleven years until the signing of the comprehensive peace agreement in 2005 between the SPLA/M and Khartoum regime.  

After all attempts to destroy the SPLA/M by force failed, Khartoum regime accepted to sign the peace agreement with the SPLA/M under John Garang. This acceptation came after Khartoum realized that SPLA/M-United is no more and has seen the leaders of those factions joint forces with the SPLA/M in 2002 and 2003. As a result of long negotiations, comprehensive peace agreement was signed in early or exactly on January/09/2005. This peace was signed against the will of Khartoum regime because it contains clauses that Khartoum regimes highly hated and consider any body that talk about these clauses as an enemy of God and the Sudan. One of this hated clause is the self-determination for the people of Southern Sudan or Machekos protocol. Khartoum view this as the division of the Sudan and the regime is now making all attempts to let it not even taking place. To confirm their refusal of peace, Khartoum regime did not implemented most important part of the CPA which few to mention as referendum laws and demarcation of the borders.

The regime is still regarding the SPLM as a terrorist organization as they used to be during the war and hate any body that is loyal to it. This has now created another state of fear and the regime began to partner with another parties apart from the SPLM.

Because of this fear that SPLM is going to be kick out from the national seen in 2010 election, Dr. Lam Akol again has emerged to seize the opportunities. Upon calculating the relationship between the NCP and SPLM, Dr. Lam questioned that relationship and concluded that SPLM is hated by the NCP and something acceptable to the NCP must be created. To solve this problem, he found out that democratic change is missing not from the NCP, but from the SPLM. This resulted into the creation of SPLM-DC that was launched by this man in early last month. The formation of this party and its announcement on June 6/2009 came as a result of NCP influence and fear of imminent war which Dr. Lam want to escape. One of Dr. Lam’s reasons of forming this party was vague and deserves to be questioned.

He wrote in his article and I quote “ The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement- Democratic change is born to save the SPLM from the collapse it is heading for. Under the current leadership the SPLM has lost support among the masses of our people”. Dr. Lam could have explained the cause of the above two sentences to himself before throwing them into the air. If we ask, who wants the SPLM to collapse and who is driven the Sudanese masses away from the SPLM? The answer will target Dr. Lam has the cause of all these SPLM problems. After appointed as Sudan FM under the SPLM ticket, the man quickly turned against his own party and was the first to accuse the SPLM before NCP follow suite. Dr. Lam blamed the SPLM for saying no, no to NCP in all their moves to weaken the SPLM and expected the SPLM to say yes, yes sir as he did. The new party of Dr. Lam is worthless and has nothing to do with change, but an act of NCP that has paid millions to the new party to be their partner. Dr. Lam has again predicted wrongly that NCP will wind the election and he will be the right person to be appointed by the NCP to rule the Southern Sudan because SPLM and SPLA will be disbanded as soon as the NCP wind the election in 2010. This expectation is a risk that NCP is not expected to take and Dr. Lam could have thought deeply before jumping into the conclusion. Martin Luther once said and I quote, “ The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy” King Jr. With this fear of facing the challenge with his fellow Southern Sudanese, is Dr. Lam deserves to have any followers? It is any body’s guest

Reputation is the most important character the masses required from any politician or those vying for the high offices. These characters are builds by the person himself and analyzed by the citizen to find out if the person deserve any support. This support is most of the times risky and must be taken if the politician is a visionary person and know his mission. This mission is not necessarily expected to be positive all the times, but the positive had to outweigh the negative. During our twenty-one years of war, Dr. Lam proved his good reputation to the enemy by causing the 1991 division, which only lifted up the hand of the enemy and caused unnecessary death among our citizens. This short article has explained some fruitless moves of Dr. Lam and it would be crucial for any body to keep away from this dangerous man of our time.

To read more from this author, visit www.simonrgd.com/analysis