Reception of the American president George Bush for Mrs Rebecca Garang minister of transport and communications at the government of South Sudan last Friday, at Whitehouse has arose wide reactions . It has opened the door wide in front of many inquiries about the significance of this warm reception which Rebecca Garang has received in Washington.
It was a reception which no other Sudanese official of the politician, has found, since twenty one years, including her late husband Dr. John Garang nor his successor lieutenant general Salva Kiir Mayardit, who visited Washington last November and whom his roof of reception has ended on Robert Zolleic, deputy secretary of state of (U.S.A).
The last Sudanese official to be received officially at the Whitehouse was the former president Field Marshal Ja'afar Nimeri who was received by the late U.S president Ronald Reagan at the (U.S.A) few days before. April upsurge which ended his rule .
The question is , does the entrance of Rebecca Garang to the white house to meet president Bush came as a coincidence and to sit down on the seat of the yellow dress and before the chimney.
It is a famous sight, which had imprinted on minds for the numerous times it was displayed for the American presidents, while they were receiving their guests.
The Social meeting which gathered Rebecca and Bush with his wife Lora in the invitation of the annual breakfast was well known, but the matter has swiftly developed to draw attention of the monitors to inquire about the backgrounds and the derives of the official reception for Rebecca at the Whitehouse, in a precedent which even the two leaders of (SPLM) Dr. John Garang, and lieutenant general Salva Kiir Mayardit who preceded her with a visit to Washington few weeks ago didn't obtain, leave alone that this status wasn't obtained by any of the highly respected Sudanese officials who took power after the era of Nimeri.
According to these backgrounds it is difficult to think that reception of Rebecca at the white house has come as a coincident or lacking evidences .
It is clear that Washington has aimed to launch a clear message that it has taken this step for something in the soul of Jacob, but what does the American Jacob wants is the cause.
It is certain that the first party to whom the message was addressed is the first vice president, lieutenant general Salva Kiir Mayardit, so what does this message say.
Last August and after one day of bidding farewell to the funeral of Garang in Juba, two U.S. officials, namely Constance Newman the former deputy secretary of the state for African affairs and Roger Winter the special representative of the Deputy Secretary of State in Sudan met with a few number in Journalists in Khartoum Hilton. When winter has surprised his audience with clear criticisms directed for the first time for the late Dr. Garang and his clutching way in leadership and praising at the same time Salva Kiir saying that contrarily to his predecessor that he enjoys the sense of collective leadership besides being most near from the grassroots of (SPLM) the matter that qualifies him for leadership. It appeared for most people that this attitude lacks courtesy. For Winter hasn’t let the funeral of Garang get cold until he directed towards it these severe criticisms.
Washington appeared that time keen to declare its blessings for the leadership of Salva Kiir and consecrating his succession for Garang. But it appeared that this was not the end of the story.
A character from North Sudan who is too close with the peace file says to Eilaf Daily that blessing of Washington that time for the leadership of Salva Kiir, was not final but was initiated by necessity.
The U.S. Administration was been following the Sudden death of Dr. Garang to guarantee cohesion of (SPLM) and insure smooth passage for the leadership and that Salva Kiir being the first vice president to Garang therefore passage of leadership to him that time seems logical and a means to stop occurrence of differences in the early time of the progress of the peace settlement.
This reasoning is supported by the praise said by winterer to Salva Kiir in the press conference we spoke about highlighting the speed with which the succession was transported to Salva Kiir among cohesion of leadership.
But the Northern source who didn’t allow publishing his name says that the U.S. administration knew after six months of Kiir’s taking leadership that he might not be the suitable person for so many considerations, to lead the Southerners on the rough sea of settlement. Washington had betted on the charismatic and strong character of Garang to push forward for forming a new political status in Sudan which transcends the secession views.
The source says that one of Washington’s strategic interest is a united Sudan but according to a new equation on which peripheral areas decide who commands the center but not the reverse. He adds the oil interests were not far from this vision. The source thinks that performance of Salva Kiir on the past moths since taking office has introduced few answers about his real capacities and abilities in leading Southerners with all the complications in the arena, whether on the struggle inside the movement between its different currents whom survival of Garang unites or within the framework of the broad Southern arena.
Our source goes more when he expresses his belief that the controversial press conference on which the first vice president has exploded heavy surprises in criticizing his partner (NCP), was not a coincidence but a matter which Salva’s advisors have drawn for him to precede the visit of Rebecca Garang to Washington. They had been looking with doubt since the beginning for her visit.
They have expected her to launch a violent attack regarding implementation of the peace agreement to support her obtain confidence of Southerners grumbling from slowness of peace agreement implementation and landing of peace goods to them, the matter that will embarrass Salva Kirr if he remained silent, therefore he went to spread bitter criticisms which do not adjust with his nature.
A Southerner political analyst close from (SPLM) circles supports this analysis.
He says to (Eilaf Daily) that the phase of looking for an alternate leaderships in the Southern arena has begun for the U.S. administration.
He expresses his opinion that it was not necessary that there should be some difference in the agenda between Salva Kiir and his predecessor, John Garang.
The agenda is one (it is the agenda of (SPLM) ) according to his expression. But the difference is on the leadership capacities.
On his opinion that solid military background of Salva and his remoteness for a long time from the political files didn’t enable him to weave close relations with the U.S. administration or with other important players in the international arena.
This limited relation had a big effect in the view of Washington of what he could do of a crucial role for its policy in Sudan which it had previously Saved to Garang.
This means that the conclusion of the message from the distinguished reception which Rebecca has found in Washington for Salva Kiir was that you are not the winning horse of Washington in its Sudanese agenda and it is time to look for substitutes in the Southern arena in particularly.
It was evident that the official state with which Rebecca was received in the Whitehouse as the minister of transport and communication on the government of South Sudan (Which has not seen a paved road since the creation of Adam and Eva) the beloved expression for Garang which Rebecca repeated in Washington but she didn’t discuss it with Bush and his aides as her direct responsibility about the need of South Sudan for paved roads and constructed bridges but she didn’t discuss that but went to speak and discuss issues on her capacity as
a leader concerned with national political affairs more bigger than demanding assistances to extend services, which South Sudan extremely needs. Her discussions didn’t confine on matters of implementation of peace agreement and the complications surrounding it but she also discussed the problems of Darfur which is an other indication on the intent of Washington which is looking for a charismatic leadership, to market Rebecca Garang who inherited from her late husband his political heritage also.
So does the time of the postponed battle has come to finalize the succession of Garang in the (SPLM).
Finally, after the white house baptizing for Mom Rebecca.