African National Forum (ANF) and the SPLM: “Which is the Mother of Which?”

By Madit Them Arop, Juba, South Sudan

Tuesday, February 02, 2021 (PW) — This question surfaced in one of the funeral rites wherethe presenter allegedly asked: ANF & SPLM, which is mother of which? It was rhetorical question yet there was reason for it. The funeral attended by the Acting SPLM Secretary General was organized by SPLM National Secretariat. However, the even turn out to be more like a political rally. 

But first and for those who have no idea about the ANF and how it came about, here is the menu of facts. 

ANF stands for African National Front. According to the presenter, ANF started its activities in the universities in 1950s in Sudan. Most specifically, the University of Khartoum. It was founded in 1953 while the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) was, of course, established in 1983. The question proved itself in denial that the SPLM, which is the ruling party which liberated the country could be the product of the ANF.

In other words, the African National Forum (ANF) existed before the SPLM, which reflects that the SPLM could have been driven out of the ANF’s ideas and principles. It also suggests that the SPLM began as a revolutionary party which luckily managed to liberate the country from tyrannical situation, while the ANF renowned itself to have played the same role inside Sudan especially in the universities. 

From the presenter perspective, ANF promoted mission and vision of the liberation in different approach but with the same intention.

And as such, the ANF necessarily sees itself falling under the liberation pipe whose ideas had concurrently helped in the liberation to the independence period. On the other hand, elucidations treats this narration as “claim” while others feel there is a need to have relax views in the question itself, to help create reconcilablejunction to quietly understand the link. This takes us to the ANF’s operational status.  

Is ANF Still Active? 

Taking on the presenter as point of reference candetermine the activeness OR inactiveness of the ANF. In presenter’s words, he affirmed: “In ANF, we push ourselves up, we don’t pull ourselves down.” Thisimplies that the ANF members works as a team with one achievable goal. But in SPLM, the opposite is sadly done. SPLM cadres pulls down their own and replaces them in unorganized manner. Good examples flushed out by the presenter includes power struggle within the SPLM, DE-campaigning among members of SPLM whenever political opportunities or any sort of decentdeeds arises. Meaning, there is always detestation and knock out of members in “the beneficial circle,” as maybe called. 

The quote also suggests that the ANF members campaign for their cadres to get employed; they supporttheir members from the ANF network without going against each other. 

How do they do it? In the sideline during the event, a group of individuals who proudly talked of how they posted their members into what they called “groupings or tabling” spots, revealed information considered as “confidential.” The conversation pointed out successes achieved by the ANF team, began with string of names with whom the members felt to have succeeded were pronounced with pride.  In the middle of the lively conversation, the members started to chant and praised themselves while mentioning some names in the slogans. 

Indicators shows that the ANF is an organized body purposively to enhance its presence like the rest of the institutions operating in the country. In this case, it’sdeliberately assigns its members to discrete groups withrole to fulfill the ANF’s interest. 

To relink, below were some noticeable statements by members from the event. 

“This time around, we must make sure our strong men and women of ANF are equipped with meaningful objectives with intention to grow or multiple politically,” one of the officials asserted. “ANF must be ahead of the game. Once our member managed to get political appointment, the victory goes to the ANF,” the rep added.

In short, “being in SPLM, we’ve already ‘rebranded’ ourselves, we proclaimed our membership; as a result, we can achieve anything that we won’t accomplish in isolation.”

Based on this evidence, the ANF has been soundlesslyactive. It could have adopted the scenario, which says:“works in silence let your success be the noise!” 

Any achievable outcome from the event? 

The Acting SG of SPLM had officially recognized the ANF and requested its members to avail their names in a written roster. She was happy to the ANF whom she identified as “strong in politics,” and had begun to have interest in doing politics with them. 

“If ANF with its members have never been recognizedbefore, I have officially recognized you,” the ASG mightily asserted. “Don’t let others tell you that you don’t belong to SPLM,” she warned. “In SPLM, we don’t turnaway people, we welcome everybody,” the ASG summarized. 

Resultantly, the ANF members welcomed the recognition in storms of joy and started chanting frombottom of their hearts; they jumped as their legs could lift them. The achievable recognition was unexpected, perhaps, but it happened, it could have been the intention of the invitation. ANF JUU! 

Why no one is talking about ANF? 

For sure, no clear basis as to why the ANF is not popular. Its members could have genuine reason for keeping it hidden. Others feel the unpopularity of the ANF is untrue, it’s just a mere claim. One of the members in the event said that “there is central bodywhere the members are checked and updated but it is only known to the central body when, how and why the ANF operates the way it does.” In other words, it is intentional for ANF to keep itself static as it continues to operate in motionless manner to reduce rampant propaganda storms. 

Why it took long to know the existence of the ANF? 

As the concept goes: Nothing is new except when it’s never made available by the known source. ANF has never been new only that it’s kept to members only or the intention for it “loneness” from public spot is the objective known to it leadership. However, the ANF existed since 1953, the year it was founded to this day. Therefore, the discovery has not been publicized,maybe in South Sudan, this made the ANF sounds new yet it’s one of the oldest parties/associations in the country believed to have raised generations of politicians. Most of its previous cadres could be in SPLM OR other political alliances. Majority may be serving both ANF and other parties in the current or previous governments. So it’s been active and functioning in surest slow wave as could be required by its principles. 

Is ANF Annexed to SPLM? 

Based on the invitation of the Acting SG to the event organized by members of National Secretariat, which turned out to be where the recognition of the ANF as an entity was done implies that most of the secretariats were either serving two masters or have background rooted in the ANF. As facts indicated, about 98% of the organizing team knows the songs and the slogans about the ANF. Good number in the crowd also joined lead singers in chanting, in dancing styles, in imitating in exact moves as the main singers did. The crowd was nearly 100% of the ANF background. The SPLM and ANF could be milking the same cow with different intentions— principles or objectives. 

ANF & NCP: Any Political Affiliation? 

In terms of ideas, ANF opposed National Islamic Front (NIF) when SPLM broke away in 1983, an indication that ANF had intention to push for the liberation of Southern Region. After NIF changed to National Congress Party (NCP) which remained in power up to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) era, SPLM found itself implementing the agreement leaving ANF hanging in between.

As briefing in the margin of the event attests, ANF had to soften its muscles and shifted to serve both NCP and SPLM. To achieve its interest, it leaned more to SPLM and keep NCP as reference booth to visit from then and now.  

An official of ANF who excavated deeper had enlightened that “huge number of ANF members have partially joined SPLM, others still have their previous positions but the ANF members can and will never leave ANF, for a member to claim of being ‘an SPLM is ‘lipstick impression.’”

It’s complex to isolate ANF from NCP or SPLM. But the question that official had answered turned the compass needle to the real north. That “the ANF cannot survive without the complexity itself, its principles and objectives need both parties (NCP&SPLM) to parasitological uponin order to remain noiselessly active.”  Factually, “the ANF is an institution that would have made independent choices in how to govern the country, because it’ssoaked in NCP background, its ideas have relevancy helpful in any form,” the official proudly said. “But it’s not, reasonably, it intertwined deep with the NCP making it indistinguishable in where its devotion and supportive vein lies,” the official continued. 

As such, there is unmistakable evidence to conclude that ANF has political interest with NCP confirmed widely by members; however, their conscious feelings also add that the ANF should have obtained its political registration prior to tiptoeing in South Sudan since 2011 as a political party.  

In summary, the lead question about ANF and SPLM whether ANF is a mother of SPLM and vice versa is a myth. 

Majority agreed that the ANF existed in its own right and similar status applies to the SPLM. Political space allows both to practice independently but each has specific political affiliations. It’s seen as a myth to claim that the political parties have basis toward themselves on how they got established, unless coalition happened between the two where each claim administrative leadership based on terms of reference (TOR) or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). 

Besides, data shows that the ANF is serving well under SPLM partial joining membership, after which its members have decided to work silently with intention to expand politically. Precisely, its members have been getting political appointments under the SPLM, a noticeable advantage to the ANF. However, it’s stressed that SPLM could be breastfeeding a baby of another mother in a complex-friendly environment. 

Above in all, it’s unwisely felt for the ANF to have unregistered status yet it partially joined the SPLM, objectionably because it has low interests in SPLM’s principles and objectives, a situation taken as bug in the pant! Convincingly, ANF may be required to have legal presence to compete in public criticisms such that it’s taken seriously.

In reality, ANF is older than SPLM but it cannot be the lead political mother to any political parties formed after it, legal principles don’t allow. Therefore, each political party is mother on its own, by right and by principles of the party with which it’s founded upon. But per current affairs, SPLM leads the show: it rules, appoints, enforces, and protects!

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