Monday, 14 April 2008
Only about a couple of days ago the SPLM-led Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) had considered it necessary to postpone the South Sudan portion of tonight's [15 April 2008] census until towards the end of the year, as "... it would not achieve the objectives for which it was intended," according to GOSS Information Minister Gabriel Changson Chang. In addition to the key questions of ethnicity and religion, which have for some reason been omitted from the census questionnaire, there are clearly a number of other key pending issues that are yet to be addressed, such as the demarcation of the North-South border and repatriation of over 2 million South Sudanese IDPs [internally displaced persons] in the North and also those in neighbouring countries. But the GOSS has now apparently reneged on their postponement decision or was it perhaps a case of "arm-twisting" that they have been forced into agreeing to a unilateral reversal of their decision by Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President of the Republic—as reported in the media—that the census has now been rescheduled to go ahead on 22 April 2008!
We in the United South Sudan Party (USSP) believe that the GOSS decision and reaction―though legitimate―have come rather too little, too late!
1. If the GOSS was part of the census planning process right from the beginning, why did they not build in safeguards for South Sudan, given that they had several months to prepare? On the issue of ethnicity and religion, for example, reports cite UN overseers as claiming that "... compromise has already been reached over religion and ethnicity". Have the GOSS been part of reaching such a compromise?
2. If the GOSS believe that the issues of ethinicity, religion and repatriation are crucial and legitimate—as they certainly are—how come they do not pursue the issues very determinedly and have already given in so easily to the position of the Government in Khartoum? Are they really capable of standing up firmly for what is right for South Sudan?
3. Why were the GOSS not very prompt and serious about repatriation as soon as they came to power after signing the CPA if, as stated by Minister Chang, "... there is undue influence in Khartoum in preventing the IDPs from coming back to the South"? Even those who signed the Addis Ababa Peace Accord in 1972 were much faster in dealing with repatriation than the GOSS. The SPLM's Deputy Secretary General, Yasir Arman's statement on repatriation that "... there were some concerns but the two sides [GOSS and GONU] agreed on ways to expedite the return of South Sudanese IDPs to their homes..." does not seem to hold much water. How realistic is such repatriation before next week's rescheduled census as opposed to the last three years?
The GOSS seem to be bogged down with less important matters [e.g. corruption, nepotism and tribalism] than the things that really matter politically for South Sudan. In that case, the vision of the GOSS is questionable.
4. Khartoum is raising the question of money already spent on preparation for census. But money spent by the GOSS on wrong ways of doing things will always be wasted! That is why political decisions need to be transparent and well debated widely before implementation to avoid backtracking by certain quarters or dissatisfaction by others, resulting in financial wastage.
All the above matters raise the issue of the credibility of the GOSS. They do not seem to do the right thing at the right time. How can the people of South Sudan be entirely confident of the leadership of the GOSS? In three years, it is apparent that the GOSS haven't proven themselves capable!
Clement Juma Mbugoniwia
Leader, USSP
© United South Sudan Party
The Party for INDEPENDENCE · FREEDOM · JUSTICE · EQUALITY for the citizens of South Sudan
