One party two armies, is it a robust position?
4 min readBy Deu Lueth Ader, South Sudan
March 4, 2015 (SSB) — A long awaited peace deal which was scheduled to be finalized on the fifth of March 2015 has been jeopardized by the adamant position of the parties.
The issue of separate armies during the Interim Period has become a contentious point upon the resumption of peace talks between the warring parties in Addis Ababa something which dashed hopes which were enthusiastically high among the people.
The successive series of talks in the Sudan then inherited bad illusions in our politicians, the art of Negotiation is either not been taught or intentionally ignored by the negotiators who are representing the parties. For the peace settlement to come, a conducive atmosphere must be created by the parties for the sake of peace, the success of every negotiation is to show a steadfast commitment for peace, Negotiation is a win-win game and to be a part of win-win game it requires from both sides to open a room for compromise, both parties must put concessions in order to expedite peace process.
The issue of separate army during the proposed Transitional Period becomes a stumbling-block before IGAD and it is totally fallacy; peace would not be achieved by IGAD alone if the warring parties are not committed to bring about peace in the country, the international efforts to end the war now began to regress and may resort at the end of the day to imposition of sanctions.
Dear readers and analysts what is the logic behind the bars in regard to the rebels’ demand for separate army during the Interim Period? The reunification of the SPLM factions initiated by the CCM in Arusha Tanzania has been welcomed by all SPLM factions. Is the SPLM/A not one face of the same coin, if the factions agreed to reunify the party then why not army which is the same SPLA whether in-opposition or in-government?
I suspected something to have infected the rebels’ leaders; their demand is retrospective, they thought to have experienced series of agreements in the Sudan then being dishonored due to amalgamation of the Anya-Nya 1 into National Army and the consequences followed by after amalgamation process. To this trepidation, the rebel’s leadership thinks that they should have their own army to secure the implementation of the Agreement.
But the Issue of Anya-nya1 and what is stipulated in the CPA are totally different with the current peace process; Any-nya1 was fighting under the name “South Sudan Liberation Movement/Army” (SSLM) with the objectives related to secularism which were contrary to the system of governance in Sudan by then. However; it made the SSLM deserved to be granted an autonomous with the amalgamation of the Any-nya1 personnel.
For the case of SPLM/A it was somehow alike to the former Anya-nya1 style but due to some lessons learnt in regard to the Addis Ababa Accord abrogation, some Modifications were added for the success of the Movement. SPLM/A was fighting under the pretext to liberate the whole Sudan but the intrigue was a quest for Secession of South Sudan which has been materialized on the 9th July 2011.
The author has to elucidate such an experiences in order for rebel leadership to find itself in which angle does it fall, the issue of separate army is an immature demand specially for a Movement believed to have been composed with predominantly one tribe. So the demand must commensurate the status quo; is South Sudan indeed in need of two armies in such fragile situation?
Rebel’s leadership must rationally think such that a robust out let is engendered, good-and-free will ought to be offered, a war which is being waged is a brotherly war which needs open minded for the sake of suffering civil population.
So you should relinquish your position of separate army should you yearn for a real peace that will end the war instead of emasculating the regional and international efforts, the author is urging both rebels and Government to sideline the grudges of being mocked by X or Z and usher the way forward.
The delay tactic such that war continues would be to the detrimental of the social fabric. You need not to embed in something which may jeopardize the peace process otherwise the suffering of the whole nation would be counted on you.
The ideas expressed in this article are author’s position and are nothing to do with political dimensions, and he can be reached at deuarok@yahoo.com/0955858611, 0914527127
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