Hi Mr/ Okuk,
I am grateful that you have considered and appreciated the advices of some brothers to continue to do the writing via Pachodo website. Criticism is not a matter as long as one has conviction in whatever he writes, because at the end of day one will be accountable for what he has done or written. As for your article I can say that a crisis does not make a man; it reveals him. Therefore, it is not a surprise that the president call for reactivation of the popular defence forces, because that is what the NCP has been doing as a policy for 18 years. the policy of reneging on any agreement.and it was clear from Mustafa Osman's respond as a result of the SPLM's suspension policy, when he said that; '' we don't care if their (SPLM) ministers are in the North or the South; we will not stop what we are doing and will not respond to pressure''. this mean that either SPLM suspended its participation in the GONU or remain in partnership with the NCP, they will not stop the policy of reneging the agreement that will let someday to war.

however, the problem is not what the president has called for, or what the SPLM has decided, but how we as southerners respond to the current political crisis. I personally have observed that we lost hope instead of having the right attitude toward the current crisis. We begin to see the Northerners as gaints that strick fear into our hearts for our future. whereas " many Arab Northerners rally behind Al-Bashir adminstration and build strong confidence in him for the protecting Arabs interest in the Sudan' as you put it.
In fact our morale has become low. Twenty-two years of hardship, suffering and wandering from place to an other place as displaced people and refugees had discouraged us greatly. the worse of all Dr/ John Garang was no longer around to lead the people into the promised land. We had every reason to be discouraged and our problems seem overwhelming. Despite of these still we have hope in Garang's successor Silva Kiir who will lead the people of South Sudan into a new land. and because he had assisted Dr/ Garang for many years, he was well prepared to takeover the leadership of the SPLM. without out support it can be frightening. what we need in this critical time is to support him to be strong and courageous because the task ahead of southerners' destiny would not be easy.

Dear Bro. Tipo Mel,
Thanks indeed for your comment to our bro. Okuk. I opted to put some comments but you have done your best, which should have be a Collo stand. War has never been an option for our Collo country man and woman. Today the whole of South Sudan is facing the same situation, once more. Should we go out and look for justifications, or should we stand with what is right?. President Omer El Bashir has now rallied NCP's Millitia (not the Army) against what will turn out to be infidels, weather it be the South, the SPLM, or the Collo. The question is: Where do we stand here as Collo?. When a president of the country rallies a group of citizens against another citizens of the same nation, can such a person fit to be president for all?. I thank you very much Mr. Tipo Mel for saying that we should rally behind our president, Salva Kiir, and not Omer a Bashir, as long as he divides the Sudanese. The war of Al-Mahadiya (Al-Lamthar) against our innocent Villagers in the late 1880s should always be vivid in our minds and skulls. Now we are watching for the Dinka Abeyi fighting for the annexation of their land to the South meanwhile we are not talking about Collo lands which have become part of the White Nile State. My message is clear: If we do not stand with the South today, with all its people and tribes, tomorrow nobody will help us, as Collo.

Kimo Ajing Aba

Yes, I totally agree that we have to rally behind our leader Salva Kiir but the problem is there is not trust among ourselves as southerners, even as collo. How will we effectively rally behind a leader when we are divided and hate each other? However, we have to tell our leader to be patient so that the CPA does not slip out from our hands because that is the only document that gives us strength right now. The value of the CPA is in self-determination in 2011 and other articles are only a means to that end. We should not accept to lose the end when we are faced with problems of means; some means could be compromised for the end. I will only and I will advice collo to only rally behind Salva Kiir or any other leader within SPLM if they do not throw away the possibility of Southerners reaching the end of unity of South with the North in 2011. Anything which obstract that path is destructive to the awaited dream of Southern Sudanese for peaceful independece. Meanwhile we have to prepare and equip ourselves gradually for achieveing that dream whether by democracy or by war but after 2011. By then I will be ready to make a victory or die for the South against the Jallaba and I hope collo will do the same. It is only by 2011 that we will get unwavering regional and international support for our right to independece by any means. Anything in the middle will not be totally justified and might cause us to lose alot before we are back to normacy. This is my stand and I hope collo will accept it.

thank you once more, I think what you stand as awaited dream that will be determine in 2011 is a consensual one for all sourtherners except opportunists. however, we afraid that the enemy will abrogate the CPA before the time if we will not united for our common interest. as you mentioned that '' there is no trust among ourselves as southerners''. this is a real threat for our unity. therefore, we need to understand that trust between individuals thus becomes trust between strangers and trust of a broad fabric of social institutions; definitely, it becomes a shared set of values and expectations within society as a whole. Without this interaction, on the other hand, trust decays; at a certain point, and it begin to manifest itself in serious social and political problems as it happening in our community these days.so we need to establish trust relationship by which people receive recognition and come together to pursue the interests they hold in common. in this way Jallaba will fear us.

Hi Okuk,

What will be your position if Jallaba's SAF and Almujahideen decide to reoccupy the South before 2011 ?

The Jallaba are not going to commit that mistake because it will be very costly for them. They know it well that Junubin will automatically unite to defend their land and will get greater support regionally and globally if the SAF and Mujahidden attempted to occupy the South unconstitutionally. Right now the the NCP focus is how to controll the north because they have already lost hope for regaining the confidence of Southerners for unity. President Al-Bashir has said it with his very mouth that he knows the south is going. Therefore, I do not have a position in what is not going to happen. I will only build my position in what is going to happen: that is, the independence of South Sudan in 2011 by peaceful democracy or by voilence Unilateral Declaration of Independence if the Jallaba attempted to temper with Self-determination. Let us be patient while building our strenght and trust among ourselves to ensure our long-awaited dream. Let us get into the midst of Jallaba, partner with them in the implementation of the CPA, and tame them to let us go free and remain as good neighburs in 2001. After all we are intelligent like them and we can also use them for our interests. Let us not fear them or portray ourselves as if we are weak and the one to be deceived every time.

What a beautiful discussion! On the issue of trust and unity, let me add my opinion by asking: How many of us believe that whatever is written in the constitution or in the CPA will be respected? Can anyone indicate or remember among the five or the six constitutions we had within the course of the history of Sudan from 1956-2005: only one of the core values fthat ulfill his aspiration as a citizen in Sudan? To be sincere, on my part the constitutions served the interests of the institutions of the ruling class. Thus, a constitutional article is sought only, when the interest of the ruling class is at stake.
Secondly, both South or North, the "forma mentis" has been that ONE man can suspend the CONSTITUTION. In other words, one man can CANCEL the fundamental law that engraves the identity, the cultural values and the dignity of the people. My real problem is TRUST: for it depends on crediblity, and credibility depends on day to day activities, and day to day activities depends on scrupolous diligent individuals with moral and legal conscience, who respect themselves and their nation by implementing laws as laid down. So far, I can only say mere formalities but whether what we see now amounts to constitutional guarantee, time will tell. But history continues to haunt us insistently, unfortunately, it dies only wit us.
Someone may say but what a pessimistic picture. He is right, for pessimism is a great part of our history and our personality. At this moment we are at the crossroads and both roads are attractive but the question is how to arrive there? Who will decide? Who will pay the consequences of any decision for one road? I think I am not alone in this dilemma.

I would say the right position to every freedom lovers is to strengthen our unity now and leave our difference aside and focus on our common enemy, not to confuse our seflves with their slogan propoganda of which some of our writers are keen enough to serve the interest of the enemy , to the extent that the number one front line enemy of the South ( Al intibaha daily arab news paper is publishing their articles ) and that news paper is doing that because these brothers are doing a great job on their behave. That is we destroy our selves and they will finish the rest .
And it is true we are on the cross roads at this critical time of our history ,therefore we should be very vegulent and ready at any time wheither NCPis keen to honour the agreement to 2011 ,because we have learn from the histrory alot about behviours of the Northerners and their dishonsety .
Untill we capture our full independence ,we should not take what Bashir say for granted that the South may go ,always your enemy may tell you the truth to acheive his unjustified purpose.