Heglig (Paanthou) War: Should the SPLA completely destroy the Oilfields if forced to withdraw?
4 min readBy South Sudan Nation Website Editor
“I am a head of state accountable to my people and do not have to be ordered by someone I do not fall under his direct command. I will not withdraw the troops,” Pres. Kiir to UN Sec.Gen. Ban Ki Moon, April, 11/2012, Juba
Unreservedly, President Salva Kiir Mayardit, deserves all the accolades for his momentous decision to send the gallant SPLA to (re)-capture our lost territory of Paanthou that the jellaba former Republic of Sudan president Nimeri illegitimately and arbitrarily sequestered from us after the discovery of oil in the area.
Whatever errors of omissions and commissions committed by our leaders since the signing of the CPA that have now brought us to the current predicament, all South Sudanese nationals must look forward, not backwards, on what actions we must embark upon hereafter.
Just like we can’t continuously keep blaming the unfortunate and ill-prepared Chiefs and politicians who attended the 1947 Juba Conference or Joseph Lagu’s Addis Ababa Agreement that only served to exacerbate our political predestination, we shouldn’t be wasting our energy ruefully lamenting and reproaching our leaders now for the past errors done.
At this critical moment in our destiny, let’s all join hands and minds to support the leadership on the current political perplexity pertaining to the outcome of the war in Paanthou, but more importantly, what should our forces do about the oil infrastructures should the jellaba North Sudan take possession again.
Due to its very significance as the number one oilfield, the repossession of or the loss of Paanthou, for us, South Sudanese, is really crucial just as ownership of the land itself and the restoration of the right of the original citizens of that area.
Similarly, the same predication goes for Abyei region and those areas now being besieged by the belligerent aggressors from the North who want to usurp all our God-given natural resources prevailing in those areas.
As a people, we, South Sudanese, in our long and tortured progression to nationhood and liberation since being politically orphaned and betrayed by colonial Britain in 1947, have gone through unfathomable mishaps and calamities that severely hampered and retarded our evolution.
We must resolve with absolute determination what and how to deal with the issue of Paanthou oil field especially if we are going to involuntarily cede it once again to the nefarious jellaba with the serious ramifications and implications detrimental to our very survival.
Recognizing jellaba historical intransigence and obfuscation, we can neither be assured nor hopeful of equitable share of or fairness of deals pertaining to our own oil revenues if the jellaba got hold of Paanthou and resume pumping our oil northwards.
Inevitably, in the stark reality that the jellaba come out as victors in this war, we can most certainly accede that any further negotiations on the remaining issues will be meaningless and inconsequential.
For sure, we can’t rely too much on the international community that currently is pro-Arab and too scared to hurt Islamic sentiments, so we’re unfairly doomed in whatever continuation of negotiations we shall have with the jellaba.
The next few days will be very decisive and crucial for South Sudan nation and as such, President Kiir must decisively decide what action we must take if by some misfortune, the jellaba emerge victorious in the Paanthou war.
If the South is militarily forced to withdraw from Paanthou, what do we do with the oilfield infrastructures, leave them intact so that the jellaba continue to exploit our resources to grow stronger and perpetuate their aggression against the South?
Alternatively, should the SPLA forces be ordered to set the place ablaze so that the jellaba don’t use our resources to advance their egregious policy of destabilization of our nation?
President Kiir should rest assured that there is already legal precedence where oilfields have been set ablaze by the withdrawing forces, including the destruction of arsenal on the battlefield to prevent your adversaries for taking advantage.
Where and when our national interest is potentially or actually under threat, as this spate of war truly proves, we’d never hesitate to take action, whatsoever, to secure the nation and our survival.
President Kiir and SPLA commanders on the ground in Paanthou: Please don’t accord the jellaba any advantage to exploit that which is to our own detriment.
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