The Forgotten Vision of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM)-PART 2

By Dut-machine De Mabior, Nairobi, Kenya

November 17, 2015 (SSB)  —  The other phase meant for twelve (12) to eighteen (18) months was outlined as below;

Those roads were due for rehabilitation as from the 9^th of January 2006 to be completed on the 8^th of July 2006.

The third phase were the following roads to be rehabilitated from the 18^th (eighteenth) to the 60^th (sixtieth) month after signing of the CPA

This third phase was scheduled for completion on the 8^th of January 2010. Anyone who is conversant with project management would expect a delay in the completion of this work due to some other factors, maybe finances and labour. Still this is not a reason to explain why nothing has started after ten years of peace.

At least ten roads would be completed to air the excuses of so many other factors we may base our arguments on as to why no roads are tarmac in the independent Republic of South Sudan. When the only tarmac road is the 192 km road connecting Juba and Nimule out of the thirty (30 of 9,372 km) roads the framework defines, this does not need a lot of thinking to dictate that the SPLM vision has been forgotten.

The framework goes ahead to define the railway section critical for rehabilitation as for the Babanousa-Aweil-Wau section and in advance defines the lines the country needs to construct to boost the industry as:

1. Pakwac (Uganda)-Kaya-Yei-Juba-Ramciel-Yirol-Rumbek-Wau
2. Juba-Torit-Kapoeta-Lokichogio (Kenya)

• Kaya-Yei-Maridi-Yambio-Tambura-Wau-Aweil

1. Juba-Yei-Lasu-Kisangani (DRC)
2. Juba-Bor-Malakal-Kosti
3. Bor-Pibor-Pochalla-Gambella (Ethiopia)

• Malakal-Nasir-Jekou-Gambella (Ethiopia)

We in the no class of the big boys have no idea if at all the SPLM led government has a plan about the railway transport sector. With the way the people of South Sudan are struggling to eat, a railway line is honestly more of a luxury than an immediate need.

The airstrips in the counties were to be maintained, perhaps that is being done because there is no a major complain on the same. The SPLM had planned to build a major International airport in Ramciel, its proposed headquarters but till now, the last time South Sudanese heard of anything about Ramciel was in 2011 when the committee to spearhead the construction of a capital at the site was formed. Hopefully that the committee was funded, the common men have nothing to hear about their money and the dream of having Ramciel as a city; let alone having an international airport is withering.

The strategy had mapped out the regional airports in Wau, Juba and Malakal for immediate rehabilitation and be transformed into international standards. With no contradiction, the Juba airport is only having a name (international) but yet to attain the world class status. Having the capital city’s airport in such conditions, we can’t even extend our thinking to how the ones in Wau and Malakal look like. A simple contradiction of the Movement’s plans, seeing that what was planned in 2004 has not begun and the oil is still flowing into the international world, one needs not be a witch doctor to note that the SPLM vision has been forgotten.

The SPLM plan of town planning and urban utilities during the days the Movement was thinking in the best interest of the people was superb. They had singled out the major three capitals of the Greater Regions to be given priority for rebuilding. The county (turned the Ten States Capitals) were accurately mentioned for upgrading into urban centres. Some of the towns had done well in this pursuit but the man-made war of 2013-2015 destroyed everything good we laboured for in ten years.

One can’t believe that after ten years of peace, we still cannot generate even microwatts of power as the country extensively relies on the generators to power the VIPs residences and the government offices. “Alternative energy sources for rural electrification should be considered, such as wind, solar and micro-dams for small scale hydro-electric generation…” quotes the SPLM document on page 56. The document had however identified that South Sudan would benefit from the surplus energy from Uganda and Ethiopia that would be imported to power major towns as the country prepares the ground for her own hydro-electric generation possibly at Fulla.

The author is by-the-way aware of the 2015 agreement with Uganda to import power but surely; this is the year possibly South Sudan would be launching her own power generated from within. What we did for the past ten years so that signing an agreement with Uganda to import power comes at this time can only be explained by those at the Electricity ministry. What the ministry has been doing for ten years; perhaps they were preparing the agreement to be signed ten years later.

Considering the many other challenges involved in the Nile waters, we may not put the direct blames on why the SPLM led government has not done anything in constructing a major dam along the Nile. This could perhaps complicate our relationships with Egypt if this is done without proper agreements but I doubt if we need to sign any agreement with God to install solar panels on large scale to generate power for rural and urban electrification. If an agreement is also needed to tap the head-breaking wind to produce energy; is what we may be explained to in order for us to understand.

Nothing has been done maybe simply because the VIPs are catered for through the small generators power otherwise if we were indeed thinking, South Sudan by now would be lighting at every dark corner because the cheapest energy the world is using anyway is the solar energy. India produces about 4,229.36 megawatts through a solar plan. Yet the only best thing South Sudanese go to India for is medication; no one asks of their technologies.

If you see the country is very comfortable with only the God given energy, Sunshine, then no one needs to be too old to realize that the SPLM vision has been forgotten.

“One of the Pillars of our vision of the New Sudan (South Sudan) is sustained peace and social harmony in the whole country.” Quoted from the SPLM document, the statement tells one that the SPLM believes in peace and coexistence of the masses. Reading between the lines of 2004 and 2013-2015, we start to doubt where the SPLM is taking the country to. Believing in peace as the document stressed and yet the power struggle within the Movement caused the regrettable conflict that has seen the people of South Sudan mistreat one another, you may question yourself if the SPLM was ever serious with the wordings.

A Movement that believes in coexistence going ahead to tribalise the country that being a certain ethnicity would warrant you death at some parts of the country. The SPLM has brought South Sudanese to the point where one needs to speak a certain ethnicity at night at some critical locations to log into the living business else, accidentally mentioning a word in the unrecognized languages would directly take ones to their maker.

The SPLM in this war has exposed itself to the people of South Sudan and the entire world. The Movement has broken world records for being the first to share power among its groups, being the first to protest against peace, something they had almost sworn an affidavit to sustain by all means at all cost. The SPLM instead reverted to maintaining power at all costs and looking for it at all the possible disadvantageous ways.

If one could just see the inhuman atrocities committed by the SPLM fighting itself, then one doesn’t have to die to ascertain that the SPLM vision has been forgotten.

The SPLM had promised to immediately transform its other wing into a professional army that respects the civil populations. This is however still a dream yet far away from being achieved. With the current marauding militias being by default integrated into the army, we could be very far away from having that army whose arms are meant to protect the masses. But as things stand, the arms are more causing the fear then the comfort and the confidence they were bought for.

This writing will in other words not finger-point at the national army although still maintaining the vision of having a professional army as the SPLM had said is yet far much away. If one witnesses that the uniformed men claim the use of front seats in commercial vehicles despite who booked first, then one doesn’t have to be a victim to realize that the SPLM vision is forgotten.

(To be continued)

The author is a student of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Kenyatta University, Nairobi Kenya.

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PaanLuel Wël

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PaanLuel Wël is the founder and editor-in-chief of PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd, a news website that covers news, opinions, analysis, history, culture and literature of South Sudan and the world. Founded in July 2011 by PaanLuel Wël to create a platform for free expression and constructive dialogue, the website features articles from various contributors, including columnists, commentators, poets, authors, activists and academics. PaanLuel Wël believes that media can play a vital role in informing, educating and empowering the people to participate in nation-building and social transformation. He also believes that media can foster a culture of dialogue, tolerance and diversity among different communities and groups, and hopes to inspire and mentor the next generation of South Sudanese writers and journalists.

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