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By Isaiah Abraham
February 7, 2012 — Oil disputes between Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan has now taken an ugly turn when both regions turned against one another in a vicious of war of words. Each side blame another for the break down of the oil negotiations in the Ethiopian’s Capital-Addis Ababa. Media and foot soldiers furore of the two camps have done the needed damage against either side.
But the remarks made by the Sudanese President (Omar Hassan Ahmed Al Bashir) in his Cabinet Meeting on Thursday 2nd February 2012 sparked the deep seated row of words between the two countries . President Al Bashir was reported to have said that his people should prepare for ‘worse’ against the South, in light of the South refusal to use it pipelines and refineries. Juba was infuriated.
President Kiir and his Assistant are both heard and in records responding negatively against the Sudanese President’s remarks. The former in his briefing to the army top brass on Monday 6, February 2012 fired salvos, some of which were unnecessary. He was emphatically satirical and uncontrolled; the head of state lost his composure and that was a wrong.
The issue of oil and the matters attached therein require tentative engagement not belligerency or chest thumping. The South doesn’t need to show that they are capable of fighting back the North and the North on the other hand should understand that it needs the South for its political and economic stability. We still have people out there and other interests. The two sides need each another, and hence sacrificial to work out something even if the going is tough. There will always be a way!
The two leaders (Al Bashir and Kiir) must cease from publicizing their sentiments and frustration against one another. The African Union High-Implementation Panel (AUHIP) under President Thabo Mbeki is trying its best to bridge the gap, as the round of talk is due this weekend, why should the leaders in question spoil their diplomatic environment before the talk started? I don’t think it is in place to undo one another in public.
Granted, the South must be bitter and impatience due to intransigency by Khartoum to let Abyei go, and their encroachment into Southern territories along the border, as well as the stealing of oil, but the truth is that we need negotiation to sort out the oil and many other outstanding issues, not through war.
President Kiir has avoided confronting the North many times and his fears were justified. He was right! Warriors don’t sing the war, though they propagate it all times. War by the way comes automatically like in the case of Jaw in Western Upper Nile State. As we speak however, I don’t think the two sides are going into warfare, hence uncalled for to go against the grain.
If that is the case, then I see no reason for anyone to shout the loudest when he will not ‘take anyone to war’. President Kiir should do one thing at a time: if to go to war, he need not drama it, but declare it. But our people want peace. Since he has chosen the path of negotiation over war, I find President askance against President Al Bashir as conflicting. His stand must be colorless! Remember again, the two are poise to meet in few days times (as I mentioned above), why raise temperatures?
Also I had expected least on his remarks about the International Criminal Court (ICC) thing. He is against the principle of collective responsibility as to the position of the African Union. Though there were problems in the region of Darfur, no African man can support the biased Court that doesn’t have space for appeal. It is A Western clobber for Africans and other developing world.
On our today’s crisis, I humbly look forward for an end to issues through peaceful means. The current status of no war no peace or lingering bickering between the South and the North hurt the two countries, and eventually it can lead to war. We need peace not war! Our President must not give up on his pursuance of peace through dialogue. Khartoum shouldn’t response to Kiir’s clumsy remarks. Let’s talk, and talk but not for the sake of talking to buy time.
The release of Abyei to the South through a presidential decree is an important item that should be cleared off the table. Then there is the need to endorse the ABC Border Reports. After that the logical charges per barrel of crude oil should be $1 no more. Khartoum ought to quickly refund the people of South Sudan the amount of $3.6 billion for oil taken without consent and the arrears. Where is Ustaz Ali Osman Mohamed Taha? God bless the people of South Sudan!
Isaiah Abraham lives in Juba; he’s Isaiah_abraham@yahoo.co.uk
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