The 37th Anniversary of SPLM/A: What lessons to learn from May 16th Commemoration?
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By Cde. Akol Maduok Madut Akol, Juba, South Sudan
Saturday, May 16, 2020 (PW) —- Although coronavirus pandemic is currently devastating celebrations of important historical events within the country and globally, it is my privilege to honor and commemorate this day. As today marks the 37th anniversary of revolution of SPLM/A, I want to pay special tributes to our martyrs whose blood cemented our national foundation. On top of them was our political philosopher and founder of SPLM/A who is none other than Cdr. Col. Dr. John Garang De Mabior whose ideas brought a total change to Sudanese history through New Sudan Ideology.
One should not also forget to mention Cdr. kerubino Kuanyin Bol, Cdr. William Nyuon Bany Machar, Cdr. Arok Thon Arok, Cdr. Nyachigak Nyachilluk, Cdr.Samuel Abu John, Cdr. Gelario Modi, Cdr. Joseph Oduho, Cdr. Francis Ngor-Makiech, Cdr. Lual Diing Wol, Cdr. Majier Gai, Cde. Dr. Mansur Khalid, Cdr. Anthony Bol Madut among others who dedicated their lifetime to liberate us from oppression, political exclusion, repression, persecution, marginalization, Arabization and forceful Islamization. Hence, their untold and unforgettablesufferings didn’t go in vain. Having achieved physical struggle for the black marginalized people of South Sudan, SPLM continues andwill continue and is much anticipated to deliver the promises of liberation struggle to the South Sudanese citizens.
The longest civil war in African political history spearheaded by the peoples’ movement took over two decades with atleast 2.5 million lives sacrificed with an overall objective of attaining recognition forpolitical entity. The revolution was not about power andmaterialistic liberation. The vision of heroes and heroines was to dismantle the barbaric system in the Sudan which was anchored on political Islam and Arab domination over majority of African Sudanese and then to establish a just, free and secular democratic system of governance where all citizens are stakeholders in managing their own affairs regardless of their race, sex, religion, language or political affiliation.
The revolutionary cadres broughtindependence not through Golden Plate as assumed by others but it was through long, thorny, zigzag and slippery paths which led someweak heart cadres to prefer collaboration with our traditional enemies, the jallabas, on the pretext of shortcuts, the so-called Peace Agreements such as surrendering Khartoum Peace Agreement of1997 and Fashoda Peace Agreement of 1998. This is history comrades. The final remarkable Sudanese Peace Agreement of 2005, the CPA, was the only right and successful path asrevolutionaries had cornered Khartoum regime politically, diplomatically and militarily. With articulation in the CPA the Right to Self-determination for the people of then Southern Sudan, 99percent of voters overwhelmingly chose creating a sovereignterritorial entity which is the Republic of South Sudan.
It was a very wise and unregrettable decision to vote for first class citizenship in an independent country instead of stratifying Southerners and other African Sudanese as second class citizens in their own Sudan. Congratulations to the people of the two Sudans for achieving New Sudan Vision of inclusivity and discarding exclusivity of the Old Sudan under Islamic doctrine promoted by former successiveregimes as concluded by the National Congress Party (NCP) in Khartoum. The New Sudan visionary struggle was not only toliberate Southern Sudan as a separate territorial entity but also to provide total freedom to both Sudans as we are witnessing today.
The second phase of liberation struggle is to change the mindset of the people of South Sudan from tribalistic, regionalistic, clannishand individualistic ideologies to ideologies of embracement of the spirit of nationalism and patriotism. The SPLM as a governing party with clear vision, mission and direction, is steering the country towards prosperous stage of sustainable economic development after attaining total peace and stability. The SPLM remains committed to building a strong nation politically, economically, socially and militarily based on rule of law, accountable government, justice, liberty, equality, prosperity, democracy and secularism to subdue external challenges.
The SPLM discourages baseless and undemocratic fight for political and economic power and it is ready to challenge or be challenged through elections where electorates would choose the parties of their choice according to political programs of transformational agenda written and presented in the manifesto. The Joshua of South Sudan, who shepherded us to the promised land, and man of peace, His Excellency Cde. Salva Kiir Mayardit, the chairman of the SPLM and President of the Republic, has been, is and will remain working for unity of South Sudanese citizens and development despite many challenges created by self-entered internal enemies of progress who are fighting for their own personal interests using the blood of innocent people.
The ultimate aim of these failed power hungry politicians is to establish a family-style hegemony in the political system to extract resources for personal empire on the expenses of larger majority and this is unacceptable. The Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan has just brought a relativepeace and stability and therefore, the SPLM as the major party to the agreement wants to assure the people that it is already taking the lead in the implementation processes so as to drive the nation on the road to prosperous future.
The other political parties to Revitalized Agreement must also be willing to collectively work with the SPLM in implementing the outstanding issues like security arrangement and formation of state governments to handle the outrageous ongoing tribal and communal conflicts in some states of South Sudan. The country deserves enjoying peaceful coexistence among its citizens and so, it is the duty of all political parties including SPLM to educate people about the importance of national unity as South Sudanese to withstand the common enemy, poverty, that is chasing after majority of citizenry.
In conclusion, it is my belief that this 37th anniversary of the SPLM has come at the time when the whole world is battling with Covid-19 pandemic and there is no way for the SPLM family to gather together for commemoration of this historic Day but the party members have to celebrate through writings on social media outletsas alternatives to keeping in our minds the social distancing rules of Coronavirus which is a worldwide deadly disease.
I believe that our human race will resist this terrible pandemic and our population must strictly observe social distancing measures for curbing the wide spread of Cov-19.
SPLM VISION NEVER DIES. South Sudan Oyee! SPLM Oyee! All SPLM Visionary Cadres Oyee!
The writer is an SPLM Cadre and a graduand majoring in Economics from the University of Juba. He is reachable via akolmaduok@gmail.com
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