THE CONTINUATION OF THE BREAK UP OF THE OLD SUDAN AND ITS THREAT TO OUR NASCENT REPUBLIC.-By Cpt. Mabior Garang de Mabior

Fellow Junubeen,

Our beloved country, the Republic of South Sudan, is at a crossroads. If we do not courageously face the negative forces trying to break up our nascent Republic, their divisive ideology will gain traction and the damage they are causing may be irreversible. This separatist ideology which has engulfed our great nation, is the logical conclusion of the failure to concretely understand the vision of the new Sudan and the continuation of the break up of the old Sudan. If these ideas remain unchallenged, they can easily manifest as our new reality.

Compatriots,

The traditional elite have been dividing our communities since the days of colonialism and slavery. They have sold separatists ideas to our naive civil population as self-determination for a long time. They have presented themselves as the fathers and mothers of self-determination. When they are, in fact, the fathers and mothers of secession. There is a big difference between self-determination and secession. We must not confuse the two.

That is mischief!

Once the secessionists achieve their objective of breaking up our country, new contradictions will emerge in the new countries they found. The new entities which arise, will break up even further. The Nuer Land (RolNaath) will break up into smaller entities. The Greater Equatoria will suffer the same fate. While the remaining South Sudan  (presumably Dinka Land) will also disintegrate.

These contradictions, which may lead to further disintegration, already exist today in our land. The Naath would become divided between who are original Naath and who are assimilated Nuers. In western Naath, there are already tensions between Bul and Lek, land disputes fueled by politicians in Juba. There are tensions between Leek and Jikany in the Thoan area. There are also conflicts between Jakey and Dok and conflicts between  Dok and Haak. These land disputes will only be amplified by secession.

In the east, there also exist contradictions among Naath communities. In Maiwut County, there are artificial conflicts between Cie-Chany and Cie-Wau. In Nassir between Cie-Wang and Cie Bichiok.

The Jieng are already divided between east and west. The communities in the west are internally divided. Those in the east are also divided among themselves. There is conflict in the west, between Pakam and Luac in Lakes State. There are conflicts between Ngok and Twic. There are also conflicts between Apuk and Aguok.

In the east there are tensions between Twic and Bor in Jong'lei State. There are disputes over ownership of the Sudd Wetlands, which at times end in violence. These contradictions will end up breaking up this new Dinka Land, labelled South Sudan.

In the Equatoria region, we also have contradictions that will arise and threaten to break up the proposed Greater Equatoria country. The Bari speakers, in the absence of the land grabbing issues, would soon question their unity. With communities who are not Bari wanting to assert their unique identities. There are also communities among the Lotuko who want to assert their unique identities.  We have already seen the recent brutal conflict between Azande and the Balanda in Western Equatoria. The atrocities we have committed on ourselves have  not been committed by our enemies during the war of liberation.

Fellow countrymen and countrywomen,

The resolution of these contradictions is the vision of the new Sudan. This vision was not about unity with our oppressors as the traditional elite sold it to our naive civil population. It was not a vision meant to be understood geographically . It is a forward-looking vision of how to manage unity in diversity. This vision is still valid within the context of our new realities as an independent nation-state. This progressive vision is, of course, not in the vested interests of the conservative forces in our land. If the revolutionary forces fail to rearticulated this vision today, then the break up of our nascent Republic will be inevitable. This generation can not sit back and allow our country to disintegrate on our watch. History will not forgive us after countless generations sacrificed everything for our freedom.

Compatriots,

"we must be united!"

- to be continued -