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By Ngor Arol Garang
December 23, 2010 (ABYEI) - With less than two weeks before the people of south Sudan to go the polls to decide whether they will split from the north, Reverend Gabriel Roric, a bishop of Rumbek Diocese for reform Episcopal Church of Sudan turned politician after splitting from the Episcopal church of Sudan said calls for secession are antiquated and unacceptable in his church and Sudan as a whole.
Speaking to Sudan Tribune on Thursday from Khartoum, Roric a member of Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party, appealed to Southern Sudanese to give the central government in Khartoum time to implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) instead of what he termed as “emotional and rushed voting” to secede from the north.
The CPA, signed in 2005 by former rebels the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the NCP, granted the south the right to secede in a referendum. It is widely expected that the south will chose to separate and form a new state in the vote due to take place on January 9 2011.
Roric said: "I think it is important that the central government be give enough time to fully implement some of the remaining issues in the comprehensive peace agreement instead of backtracking with campaigns for separation. If President Bashir and the leadership of the national congress party are committed to implementing why not give chance.
"How can there be two countries whose boundaries have not been drawn. How can there be two countries yet discussions over post referendum arrangements have not been settled. How can there be two countries yet discussions over citizenship, money and wealth sharing have not been resolved," asked Roric.
He chastised violent agitators of secession who are using the agreement, describing them as nothing but a bunch of reactionaries who should not be supported.
"Those calling for secession now were the same people who supported the idea of New Sudan,” he said.
The concept of New Sudan was developed by the SPLM’s former leader the late John Garang, who advocated a secular and federal Sudan which recognized the religious and cultural diversity of Africa’s largest country.
The reverend implied that is was hypocritical for members of the SPLM said that previously campaigned for this vision before the CPA to now endorse separation from the north.
"When majority of the south Sudanese in eighties were talking about separation from the north, some of the senior members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, the SPLM, who are today talking about separation were fighting for new Sudan and when we South Sudanese accepted to follow them and be part of the new Sudan, they jump out again from the unity campaign and supports separation."
"What is this political confusion? Why are individuals creating confusion? They say one thing as unionists in Khartoum and another as separatists in Juba why," asked Roric saying that Sudan belongs to all Sudanese regardless of their tribe or origin.
He said secession is not part of Sudanese history.
"Our history is unique and unifying history. It talks about different tribes as of part of Sudan and that no single region would mean anything to itself without the other." He said those campaigning on the basis of region and religions are only bent on dividing the country which has been a unitary state since independence.
"Do I need to tell you what some of the senior SPLM leaders have been saying about you? Let’s remain united as Sudanese. Using regionalism to divide us is antiquated and unacceptable. I cannot say I should just belong to the South or lakes stake because what is region without the support of other region?"
Roric is one of the few prominent Southern Sudanese figures who have repeatedly opposed the secession of the south from the north. He said Sudanese should never seek to divide the country on regional or tribal lines because that is not in anyone’s interest.
He was one of the politicians who repeatedly opposed to the conduct of the referendum during the All South Sudanese Political Parties’ Conference held in Juba in October.
Calling on political leaders to start working on providing leadership to unite the country because most of the prominent freedom fighters came from the region, he said names and tribes only add to the identity of the country.
Sudan is too good to be subjected to calls for secession, he said.
The bishop said some of the shining political stars who attracted him to politics included Garang, who died in a helicopter crash shortly after becoming the President of the newly autonomous Southern government and First Vice President of Sudan in the Government of National Unity as part of the peace deal.
"One of the few Sudanese who attracted me to politics included late John Garang. John was a shining star because he had unitary vision," Roric said.
"He had the vision to unite Sudan and Africa as continent. His position on unity was a great position and helped very much to keep the movement. He had support of the whole world including the Arab league," he said.
Roric urged Sudanese to desist from blowing issues out of proportion as in his analysis the situation on the ground does not reflect what is being reported in some sections of the media.
"I am from the south and have been to the south on several occasions to see the real situation on the ground. In the south, people are one. They see themselves as Sudanese. The separation talks are not heard from ordinary people. They are heard from politicians, particularly members of the SPLM.
"We also hear more about this in the newspapers. You know sometimes people can exaggerate issues. People there (south Sudan) are not for that kind of thing," he claimed.
"So, allow us time to study this matter. We don’t want to rush things,” he said.
The senior member of the NCP for the southern sector said the political situation in most southern states is not as bad as it is being reported in the press because he saw the calm atmosphere for himself.
He accused other northern political parties, who he did not name of becoming jealous and feel hurt by the economic successes of the NCP, who have ruled Sudan since 1989.
Roric claimed that opposition parties were using every tactic to get votes from the people of the Sudan to topple the NCP after the south Sudan secedes.
He said he will campaign for unity of Sudan until the last moment.
"The unity of Sudan cannot be compromised. It has to be preached because God gave us this country which we should be proud of and struggle to remain one. Sudan was born as a result of the sacrifice of some parents from various region not one region or individuals, so everyone holds something special about Sudan," said Roric.
The modern borders of Sudan were established by colonial power Britain who establish an Anglo-Egyptian condominium after Mahdist rule was defeated in 1899.
Reacting to Roric’s remarks, Deng Thiep Akok, a senior member of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Juba, said he has a lot of love for the people of South Sudan because from the time the SPLM was formed, they have remained faithful to the party.
He said Southern Sudanese, like Roric, whi campaign for unity were in the pocket of the NCP’s Khartoum government.
"Our people should remain loyal to the SPLM because is the capable party which will make [the] choice of our people becomes the real dream. Those calling for unity are bought individuals. They do not consider suffering faced by many south Sudanese either in the internally displaced camps in Khartoum or refugees camps in the neighboring countries because they feeding on the blood of their people. Let them talk but time will proof wrong," said Akok.
Akok, a former member of the Juba based South Sudan Legislative Assembly who also served as Aweil north county commissioner in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, said SPLM members and their supporters should remain united and strong ahead for the January 2011 referendum result.
The senior member of the SPLM, the south’s ruling party since the 2005 CPA, said his movement was the only party that has the ability to frustrate reactionary activities and fight for the development of the country but admitted that there are still challenges ahead of the vote.
"The task ahead is enormous. We should be holding ourselves as party members and south Sudanese, looking forward to strengthening our unity as we near 2011. SPLM is the only party with a national character. It is the party that can unite the people and the party that will frustrate reactionary activities in the country," explained Akok.
Biar Atem, a senior member of the Sudan People’ Liberation Movement with regional government of South Sudan also said he was not surprised by Roric’s remarks.
"I am not surprised to hear or read such statement coming out from Roric because Roric is a person who minds less about the suffering of the other people. He only minds about himself. If he has never done anything worth appreciation in his life time I do not think he can do it now at his old age. People should not be disturbed by his remark. Let him and his group vote for unity and let those who want to relieve the south from bondage of slavery vote for separation," said Atem.
(ST)
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