The overthrow of El Bashir cannot be a recipe of uniting North-South Sudan
6 min readBy John Deng D’Duot, Seattle, USA
Friday, April 26, 2019 (PW) — With the recent revolution in Khartoum, many people within Khartoum are thinking about whether there will be a possibility to unite Sudan. “South Sudan and Sudan.” However; such thinking will first have to meet the litmus test of disunity, inequality, and development for all. It will also have to meet the litmus test of why the South Sudanese voted for the Separation for the first place.
The issue of reunification of the two independent Sudan is being talked about everywhere in Khartoum but its reality remains as an option to be explored. Adhieu Majok, a British-Dutch South Sudanese, an analyst, and a writer; who writes on the promotion of peace, girls and women rights and youth inclusivity in South Sudanese politics, wrote an article about this: Title: “willing Sudan’s uprising reunite North Sudan? In trying to answer this possibility of reunification of the two countries, she is content just like many other South Sudanese; who have suffered from the hand of the Khartoum regime spearheaded by the former Sudanese President: Omar Hassan Ahmed El Bashir.
The recent uprising has prompted an exploration of a possible reunification between Sudan and South Sudan are yet to be released. Although there are some specialties between Sudan and South Sudan, those will always be there, but the reunification part is debatable. Many South Sudanese are content about their independence despite all the challenges that South Sudan facing right now.
There is no doubt that the revolution in Khartoum will make many people think about this possibility. However, the overthrow of El Bashir would be a recipe Reunite the two Sudan in any way. Any reunification idea such will be met with serious resistance from South Sudanese. Mainly from some of us whose parents and relatives were killed, displaced and called “abeet” (Slave). Dr. John Garang Mabior once said, “how can one be call abeet “a slave” in his own country? He continued, “how can I be a second-class citizen in my own country?”
The possibilities of the reunification of the two Sudan will always remain in our mind as just a possibility to be explored because some of us would rather be in a poor. They will choose to be in a poor country rather than be in a country whereby they will be treated as a second class citizen, to be in a poor independent state than be in a fake united country with Sharia-law that don’t treat people equally.
It will be quite spur-of-the-moment for the Northern Sudanese to think that now El Bashir has overthrown, so could North and South Sudan reunite? Such questions and thinking would be a wishful thought that lacks logic. The reunification of Sudan has nothing to do with the overthrow of El Bashir. It was only him lone who was against the South Sudanese, but it was the system, ideologies and the Islamic culture of discrimination that discriminate none- Muslim populations.
The idea of reuniting North-South Sudan might not just be a sole and a noble idea but it might take another 21 years of struggling for unity and not just those four a month’s bread’s revolution. If the Northern wants us to unite, then there must be due process and consent from South Sudanese. This is due to the due fact South Sudanese had their legitimate reasons to why they voted for separation and still today, they still have the same reasons on their minds.
The unity of Sudan cannot be made on social media and on the street of Khartoum. It must be decided by the South Sudanese; who will have much to lose than gain from the North Sudanese. If the Unity of Sudan was not made attractive during the last 63 years, then how can it be made attractive just because El Bashir has been overthrown?
It should undoubtedly understand, that I am not about against unity of the two sisterly countries. That is not my argument. We are all Sudanese, and we should be in two countries independently with a different system of government; whereby the South Sudanese would have their own government. This is because we cannot afford to back to the same discriminatory status quo that we have suffered and left for good. If we are going to reunite the two countries, what are going to tell our people, the 2.5 million people who sacrificed their lives for the cause of our independent?
This reunification argument does not make any sense, and it will never make any sense, neither. This is due historical context, and of heinous crimes committed by the Northern Sudanese upon South Sudanese. Some of us have learned the history of struggling in South Sudan and would not be menacingly taken into the slaughtering room for this fake reunification social media talks and lack of revolution in Khartoum.
Nevertheless, the Northern Sudanese should not be just looking for possibilities of reunification with South Sudan, but they should be thinking about possibilities of apologizing for what their leader has done to South Sudanese. And, only should also be apologizing, they should also be thinking about possibilities offering compensation for the atrocities committed by their former leaders and soldiers, in South Sudan from 1983-2005. The historical injustice committed, cannot be easily forgotten whereby people would just jump on the broken bandwagon of reunification, there must be a process in place.
Nonetheless, what is happening in Khartoum had been experienced by South Sudanese for more than 50 years. Why should they be crying for reunification at this moment? What do they think would make South Sudanese go back that quick? The idea of reunification might be a good idea, but it will not be in the best interest of South Sudanese, who had to suffer greatly under the Khartoum regime for the last 50 years?
It will not in the best interest of South Sudanese because when in 1983, when the Sudan people Liberation Army when to war with the Khartoum, they were not fighting for reunification but for equality, freedom and development and none of this were made attractive by Khartoum government the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. With that, South Sudan has learned, and they will be okay as an independent state. President Salva Kiir Mayardit, once said: “SPLA is a party that has no returning gear.” He was right, and South Sudan should always remain like that.
Although there is war in South Sudan, this war shall come to an end soon. South Sudanese must remain as an independent, with their own president, constitution, and cord of army. South Sudan is an independent state and it should remain like that. The revolution in Khartoum should be for Sudanese in Khartoum and they should not be mindful about uniting the two Sudan, in any way. It wasn’t only El Bashir whom South Sudan divorced alone, but it all the system that is Khartoum. They should be with their status quo and let’s be by ourselves. The division of Sudan was really, and the overthrow of Bashir cannot be a recipe.
The author, John Deng D’Duot, has BA in Law and political science and Master of Law in International Criminal Law: Petroleum, and Mineral Law and Policy. He can be reached via his email: John deng <dduotdit@gmail.com>
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