UNITY OR FEDERALISM: THE NATION IN DEILEMMA

April 24, 2015 (SSB)  —-   The secession of the South from the Republic of Sudan (North); it never addresses the issue of nepotism, discrimination and marginalization – that the Southerners have encountered- under the extremist, Arab-Islamists in the North for the past centuries. On contrary, the secession deteriorated the issue of nepotism, discriminations, and marginalization in the South. whereas the SPLM\A government and regime is dominated by almost only two ethic groups – who held the real power and authority while other ethnic groups are effectively marginalized, and deprived of the full exercise of their political rights, that is right to freely participate fully in the affairs of their governance.

Marginalization in the South under the SPLM Administration has manifested itself in the tribal tensions, discriminations on the bases of ethnocentric, as well as nepotism across the entire States – which, has native effects on the national Unity of South Sudan, social and human development, as well socio- economic recovery. In dispute, SPLM have no clear plans to re-address all these challenges; and the SPLM\A leadership acted in the inspiration and encouragement of tribalism by considering other ethnic groups as second-class citizens. Of which, this very acts are the major reasons the people of South fought against, for the last few decades of north – south civil war.

The act of domination, discrimination, and nepotism is creating South Sudan to be ungovernable (Failed state), more so, the current system of decentralization is not fully, in fact, it remains dysfunctional, as per the power vested in the person of president; to dissolve the state and fire the popularly elected governor. Supplementary, the system never fully empowered or mandated the states with vested power to govern itself free, though our states have full structures of government such as Executive, Judiciary and legislative and this turned to be in actual sense the same game the Islamic regime in Khartoum played when it awarded the south with autonomy after Anyanya War.

Therefore, in understanding of the major sources of the conflicts in the Country, we are somehow complied to believe that the solution to the problem to our south Sudanese problems was, and will never be “Secession,” as this is evidenced by the ongoing conflicts, and socio-political turmoil and failure to govern the Country. Therefore, some are now again taken on believe that, solution to our problems lays in genuine Federal system.

However, if secession that we went for could not find solution to our problems but brought more problems for our national coexistence and unity, how possible are we that, federalism can bring solutions to our problems? Federalism and ethnocentrism cannot get married and in situation of federalism where there is tribalism like in south Sudan, then divorce must be expected. We cannot risk the future of our nation’s unity with the spirit of federalism; unless in situation first solutions are found to our pressing problems that is ethnocentrisms.

We cannot plant federalism where spirit of ethnocentrism is existing in our hearts because that can turn federalism in view, into formal split which will start with rejection of those we views as trouble in our midst; and that will be the foundation of the disintegration of South Sudan into factional republics that will be too far from recognition by international Community; and lend us back to another era of inexistence. There are already some indicators that we don’t want other ethnicities in our midst and therefore we want them to leave us alone; to date, in some part of south Sudan, we will prefer to lease our land to foreigners, but not to certain ethnic groups, and what could be the possible reason? Logical because we consider them land crabbers, troublemakers and they are not welcomed in our midst. Thus we need federalism and therefore, the motive is what matters in this regard of the need for federalism.

Federalism is never bad in our situation as a nation, but the motives for the call for federalism are what we need to examined to save the national unity and coexistences.

Federal is good because it is the system where the Government is decentralized, as the power and authority to govern is vested locally in the States – rather than the broad based central governance system. In this sense, federalism becomes the building block of the national political order on territorial bases – where a political structure of Government covering particular region within the Nation; and in democratization, federalism becomes key in recruitment of formal channel of equal representation, egalitarianism and the re-distribution of power and socio-economic development of every ethnicity. In addition, it is what eliminates marginalization of every indigenous group as well, believes, culture, and race.

Indeed, federalism if called for, in south Sudan with good motives it will employ sustainable Peace, Security, and socio-economic development of every ethnic group. It is also the most complete form of Government that south Sudanese can seeks to employ to accommodate all tribes, race and religious believes in governance, as it has separate government institutions for different parts of the territory of the Country. In the ideal of federalism, the power and authority of the Nation divided to the separate Regional based Authorities to govern themselves effectively within the framework of the Federal Republic that falls into two pillars:

a) The autonomy of the component parts (State) – that is to run their local governance affairs fully, without interference from the federal Republic and,

b)The deep spirit of the Unity and co-operation as well as mutual commitment of all people from different geo-political structures (State), as each state shall seek the measures of autonomy while the Federal Republic focus on national policies for the betterment of all.

In the situation of south Sudan we already have structure in place like states, these structures can only transformed democratically into federal states that are autonomous, with its own Government consisting of the Legislative, Judiciary and Executive; that is upheld by its own constitution that bonds each state to the Federal Republic, and its functions; as it is also in the case of the Federal Republic.

Indeed, In order to accommodate the ethnic, cultural, and religious diversities in South Sudan, and to ensure maximum participation of the people in the running of their government affairs, we have to commit ourselves to the establishment of a federal system of government, based on the geopolitical boundaries. The federalism is the fundamental and the inalienable right of the people from different geopolitical boundaries, “to the rights to the freedom to self-determination.” The ideal of the federalism system shall be based on the ‘bottom-up’ approach. As per the experience of the south Sudanese, calls for federalism has been there during the Juba conference, held in 1947.South Sudanese politicians also asked for federalism in 1955 in Torit and 1963 during a Khartoum meeting”, and the call was as strive to resolving conflicts, problems of power and authority and the distribution of wealth, because this is the only way for the unity, stability, and sustainable development of the South Sudan as whole can be guaranteed but that was times tribalism has never taken deep roots in our heart as of now.

Our problems by then is with Arab-Islamist in the north but now, our problems are amongst our very selves and therefore, the question is whether federalism is suitable for our Peaceful coexistence as Nation, or it will bring this nation into disintegrated republic on ethnocentrism? The question can only be answered correctly on the bases of the reason why we need federalism and in this regards, the motive behind for the call for federalism in South Sudan. Federalism can be suitable in situation where we as nation have deep love for each other, and are in high spirit of coexistences and unity but not is situation as we are total enveloped with spirit of hatred, tribalism and disunity because these that we are wrapped with, will destroy our national unity and coexistence that can split our nation into tribal factions on regional aspect.

As matter of fact, those that are calling for federalism are in most cases those who are not only happy with the current system of Governance, but with some ethnicities. Therefore, if care not taken, federalism will fall into wronged purpose and it can be employed to reach designed end in view. That can definitely be to bring to an end the current system of governance under SPLM, but also to avoid some of those unwanted in our midst and give a try – to a bigger project of self-determination. South Sudan is too small in actual sense to be ruined on federal system if we have good national political leadership that puts the interests of the nation first, then their individual selfish, and tribal interests.