Thanks, James Okuk. For sure, you had mentioned the paining concerns and the complexity stems. From all these crises could we forgive ourselves?
To continuous the remaining part to accomplish by Southerners.
The most important groups the Nuba and Funj peoples' at North Sudan although but, our government is still suffering from the past mistakes.
With all these, we must be in hand with Nuba and Funj as they struggle with us.
For us to cures these cases, the first vice president Salva Kiir must leave the seat for those who will look at the all the corners of the Sudan. Then focus on Great Upper, Great Equatorial, and Great Bahr el Ghaza only. Salva Kiir, after upstairs climbing then, he cross his legs as he waiting to see what is going to happen. Thinking he will not meet them at his returns of the ladder to downstairs.

Nyaopun Aban Aban

There is nothing that can block southerns from achieving their independece,it is a must.But,we will stand in solidarity with Nubian incase of any need. For the case of 9 Ngok Dinka of Abeyie I doubt there there direction.

We need to be cautious and learn from history. Where did we stood politically during the re-division of South Sudan by the President Nimeri and what we got, and the effect or the aftermath of that stand on Collo community til now a day.

Up to now we don't know what will happen in 2011, may be we will end-up with one Sudan,Confederation,or Federation .

Professional politics require us to have outstanding relation with all Southners, Nuba, Funj and Norhthners too if we need to be a key players in any outcome whether separated or united.

Of course I don't expect the whole community to have one stand on an issue, but for politicians or people who seem to have interest in politics to be more cautious when interacting with others.

Remember you may end-up with one Sudan !!!! even if not Nuba & Funj demographically are our nightbors and having good relation with them is important to both of us. We can't operate politics in a vacume, you need people,coalition to achieve any political goals.

Finally I do respect the author opinion, my comment is intended to give the other side of the story, so we should be aware of what we say,what do, and how it will affect us such as OUR STAND ON RE-DIVISON OF SOUTH BY NIMERI AND THE OUTCOME WE GOT.

yes, you are right Mr/Lwango by saying that "we need to be cautious" because no one know what the future may hold.we really need to emphasize on the importance of overcoming differences in opinions among ourselves ( southerners) and others marginalized people to foster a good relationship for a better future.always there are differences among people. there are the conflicts of opinion and differences of views. therefore it is important for us as the people of south sudan to promote friendly relations with them irrespective of the past actions as the writer put it, because we as southernsers killed ourselves during the war as well.

Brother Lwanyo Awang and Tip William, do not assume I am not aware and cautious of what I say and how it will affect us. Please if you want to hide your head in the sand when many Southerners are pushing for their independence better keep it there for yourself because your Diaspora situation may be excused here.

Good relations of Southerners with the neighboring marginalized people should not be pursued in the expense of South Sudan Independence. Southerners do not need coalitions with Nuba and Funj to achieve their independence in 2011. For the sake logical politics, why should Southerners seek coalitions with Funj and Nuba who are anti-separation of South Sudan at this moment? Read this quotation from a Nuba Man and judge me wrong in my assertions about Nuba Mountains and Ingessina Hills:
"CPA betrayed Black marginalized people. Our people in Nuba mountains have suffered a lot during the war together with their Black brothers from the South. One thing is being mistaken by partners who signed the peace deal in 2005 about what is meant by this peace. As one of the readers said, South Sudan would not have got what so-called peace if Nuba Mountains and Eastern Sudan hadn't joined the movement. SPLM must use common sense about these people, because Sudan means the land of Black people. However let us be patriotic about the black skin of Sudanese. The bad image/representation was made during the protocol for independence of Southern Sudan, It'd have been independence for New Sudan which includes other geographical areas of Black marginalized people of Sudan."

It is important for Southerners to know themselves and also know what the others say about their case for independence. Southerners should not sympathize with whoever are against their dignity from the desired independence even if they are black in colour or marginalized by Khartoum.

Dear Wad Awang, Let us not waver or be pessimistic about the need for our Independence by 2011 because your intention of giving the other part of the story seems to be a joke to the South.

It would be better if we we focus on issue rather than negative personal assumption.I want independent too,but also I'm aware that even if all Upper Nile for example vote for separation and in 2011 and other states vote for unity, there will not be a separation as the history has told us when Collo politicians stood aganist redivision and Nuer stood for division with president Nimeri, and you know for yourself since 1983 -2008 the impact of that decision on an average Malakal Citizen.

South Sudan as an entity is run by a government and that body speaks and advocate the issue of separation or unity. So far I 'm not seeing any SPLM official including President Kiir talks about Separation instead in many occasions he talks about unity.

To me I don't know what the outcome of 2011 if it has to be held in first place. Therefore, we need to monitor the ship to the last minute, so may eliminate the possiblity of jumping off the ship which suppose to talk us to asecure shore and maintain good relation with others. Always Nuba & Funj will remain key ally to Upper Nile State even if South has to separate,therefore respect from the both sides is important.

And that is part of our problem. We now engage in discussion of future while we are not part in decision making now.Instead of focusing in 2011,it would have been better if we focus on how we become part of the GOSS current executive body. Because if we are not in now what make us think we will be there in 2011.

That's my position given the account and the history of the past.Of course you have right to have different persepective, but that right doesn't include calling other names when they don't share your persepective.Because if that the case then no need for discussion.And I don't think you believe that every body should turn out saying YES TO EVERY ARTICLE YOU WRITE, BECUASE THAT WILL MAKE EVERY LIKE YOU AND THAT DOSEN'T EXIST.

it is really my foolishness. How can someone who is a runaway and living in diaspora share views and opinions with the one who endured the sufferring during the war without running away like me. how can one give a piece of advice to a diplomat and a PHD student.
Thank you Mr/Okuk for you comment by giving me excuse in the independence of South Sudan for being in diaspora. May God bless you and the people of south sudan abundantly so that peace and happiness, truth and justice, may be established among them and to work together with mutual forbearence and respect.
Tipo Mel
Australia-Melbourne

Thank Mr. James Okuk for your attention to southern independence.
However, ask you as part of your power to accomplish our national struggle that we should consider one of two options.
First, to listen to other people opinon since we explore public point of view by posting our article for discussion.
Second, to take a individual action if we are sure personal point of view is absolute and right.
I beg you to revise your sincere statement as,"Please if you want to hide your head in the sand when many Southerners are pushing for their independence better keep it there for yourself because your Diaspora situation may be excused here."
My brother, national contribution is through many ways.
Some people could take arm, other remain in village to provide soldiers with their properties for example.
So it is here better not to mention the way each one play during struggling period.
I strongly advise that it is better to work hard to protect the ways that will help in gaining sotuhern independence than critizing western and eastern brothers becuase of the followings.
ONE: General Joseph Lako was closed to win indenpendent war. But one man Abel Alier not as many as SPLM had managed to destroy the outcome of national struggle.
TWO: SPLM/A was sent and support by Arab leaders such of Libya to crak down separatist movment in south and many southern nationalists were eliminated. Till now, those who are real separatists are under intimidation and are not allow to hold high position in SPLM and they might be assassinate.
THREE: CPA states that making unity attractive is first duty of all government levels in Sudan.
FOUR: Tribal division is still very high in South and war might be occur among sotuherners in case other tribes lost their patiences.
FIVE: Brothers we are critizing now might build coalition with enemy again and cause our weakness.
SIX: Mechnisms of governmental fucntions to facilitate the mobilization of southerners are not yet establish.
Please let consider these.

Yes brother William Okuch,I agree with you that national contribution should be done in many ways. However, this many-ways should not be done in unintelligent approach where you risk losing your core interest because of mere sympathy with the other. I still stand by my conclusion that it is better to lose Nuba and Funj at this moment and gain independence of the South than have them as Catholic-married allies who can make the South lose its desire for dignity in 2011. There is no much time left for patriotic Southerners to hesitate stating their position openly even if they are not decision-makers in the GoSS or GoNU.

Please brother, I am totally responsible for the statement you referred to and I do not see any need to revise it. Kindly read critically the reason behind the comments that provoked me to write that statement. I am not against any counter opinion but I am after the defense of my opinion too so that it is not deviated or misunderstood by the readers.

Hi brother James Okuck. Thank you for good faith in discussing our problem.
I sincerely like your advise that,"however, this many-ways should not be done in unintelligent approach where you risk losing your core interest because of mere sympathy with the other."
Meanwhile, I'm wondering if you could please describe the "unintelligent approach" to help me or others to avoid it in future.
You also mentioned in your article that SPLM had changed SSLM for New Sudan ideology. James, how much prices Southerners have paid for such change. Since you believed such replacement to bury idea of southern independence had happened, how could you simply said in first paragraph of your article that,
"so that they are not deceived again by some insincere politicians of SPLM and of Southern Sudan political parties." It is kiding here if SPLM murdered their own people for sake of ideology?
How could SPLM who killed their people and destroyed their south for new Sudan vision be insincere to those areas?
Again, southern nationalists like yourself have no opportunity in governmental business which suppose to be an opportunity to prepare our people for self-determination.
SPLM could turn down idea of self-determination since it yielded to it through pressure of international community which you too stated as there are no southern separatist influnence in government.

Yes I understand you are so determine to see the south getting its independence. But how? By chances or under next international pressure that once forced Garang to accept self-determination?
Why I'm asking such questions because I do not see any positive development that could help in securing 2011 referendum. Many steps that could have help in preparing southerners to win their independence are manipulatively delayed.
Yes you said something about building southern military. That is one positive step. But I'm afriad it is not enough because our weakness was not lack of strong army, but lack of unity. You believed it by saying that, "but it is rather the problem of lack of fair-mindedness and respect of human dignity in the Sudan regardless of the color, tribe, region or faith in God/gods."
That is truly the problem. So James, has SPLM and other Southern Parties done something about that?
This what we are saying that there should be no nepotism, tribalism, inequality and lack of respect.
Since there are those values involved in ways GOSS is being run, how could we be optumism.
In my opinon, SPLM members means what they are for, so it will be through regional and international circumstances that will give southerners chances to gain their self-determination and they are not insincere to people you mentioned since they killed their own people and marginalized them for sake of keeping New Sudan Vision alive.
James, I was in bad isolation for being separatist and I knew the pressure from our brothers who called themselves SPLM supporters.
I advise, our discussion should be topic and solution to topic. That why I asked you to list me some of unitelligent approach.
Stay well

Dear Brother Okuch, if our discussions and comments on this neutral honourable free website from our good-hearted brother Lam Arop could follow the tracks you are using here, then we could have avoided so many unnecessary confrontations and misunderstandings amongst ourselves here. I am happy with your intelligent questions about my article and I would like to sincerely share my answers with you as bellow:

The unintelligent approach mean include weakness of many politicians and political parties of Southern Sudan in incapability of avoid waste of time, energies, and resources on petty and non-prior agendas at this critical journey to freedom and independence of South Sudan. What is important and prior at this critical moment in the history of Southern Sudan should be:
1) Creating awareness amongst the grassroots, the IDPs and Refugees so as to get them mobilized, registered and identified legally as Southerners for conducting the mid-term elections in six months from now and also for participating in referendum in twenty six months from now;
2) Speeding up North-South border demarcations at most before the first quarter of 2009;
3) Speeding up the identification of electoral constituencies in the South before the first quarter of 2009;
4) Speeding up the referendum bill so that it could be adopted into law in appropriate time; and
5) Finding mechanism of approaching the referendum date with strategic unity and harmony in diversity of South Sudan political forces and Communities.

The case of some SPLM intimidating and eliminating their comrades is a fact. It is known in the dark history of SPLM/A that those of Samuel Gai Tut, Abdallah Chol and many other separatists' leaders were murdered for their opposition to the vague New Sudan Ideology of Dr. Garang and Dr. Monsour Khalid. Get me well that it is not all the SPLM members but some of them who have not been telling the comrades of the Transitional Areas sincerely that most of the common Southerners are struggling for separation and independence of South Sudan by any possible means ( either military force at worst resort or peaceful democratic power at smooth transition).

I am not directly in the political decision-making fora in the GoSS or GoNU but I believe what I say and write can have an influence on our political and military decision-makers. If the SPLM turn down the chance for self-determination for South Sudan, there is no doubt that the patriotic Southern separatist will continue with the struggle because Southern Sudan is bigger and older than the SPLM itself. The desire for the independence of South Sudan was already there before the SPLM/A was born and it will always be there even if the SPLM/A wither away as a consequence of its unintelligent approach for securing the core interest of the majority of Southern Sudanese from one generation to the next.

Dear brother Okuck, 'Chance' and 'Choice' are inseparable characteristics of human life. So I strongly believe that the desire of patriotic Southerners for independence can be accomplished by either chance or choice. What is important is just reaching there in 2011 or perhaps more if politics becomes unfavourable on our side because of unfair-mindedness and lack of respect of human dignity by many of our leaders and enemies in the army and in the politics. Yes, the SPLM ruling party and dominating army in Southern Sudan is not doing well as expected when the CPA was signed but by the work of both chance and choice and may be by God’s will, South Sudan is going to get independent and dignified in future by its strategic location with the most demanded valuable natural resources in the word supply markets.

Thank you Mr. James Okuck for your national role you are pursuing specially in your continuous determination in keeping debating ball rolling.

Indeed, if any participant in debate yild to or quit from discussion without emerging into logical solution is by itself a point of weakness.

Legal war between plaintiff and defendant goes on for weeks, months or years and court keeps adjourning court decision till both sides involved in case provide significant proves in favor to their claims.

James thank you for your "tangible findings" you have listed above. It is here where one can decide to support a person in his/her topics or issues which are tangible to public understanding, mind, feeling and opinon. I can sincerely say here we can begin supporting ourselves because we know which cards each one among us have and on which issues he/she stands for.
I here sincerely support your all findings from # 1 to 5.
1-Creating awareness amongst the grassroots, the IDPs and Refugees.2-North-South border demarcations.3-identification of electoral constituencies.4-Referendum bill.5-Finding mechanism of approaching the referendum. Correctly, these are important issues that will enable the Southereners to win their independence if they are translated into action.

But to my personal opinon, I would prepare working hard to implement firstly,number one issue which is "creating awarness among southerners and refugees".
Why?
Because if nation is well mobilize, people could make their leaders to work to implement other four issues you mentioned or people could remove them from public institutions which is happening currently in Thailand.

Now, I strongly encourage to begin mobilizing grassroot wherever southerners are found as you said. Areas of our government failure and issues governmental officals suppose to implement must be scruntinize and get expose to public. These are our moral responsibilities to follow and SPLM and other political leaders in governments will fear that public could remove them and could bring in new faces willing to carry out national duties.
Many leaders in most of countries use forces to silence people or they do not fullifil their promises because governed people are ignorant to their rights.
SPLM, is one of those governments because SPLM uses tribal as source of their power.
God bless you and every participant in this national forum.

All services of SPLM and international and local organizations go to ONE TRIBE,DINKA.

We mentioned many times that divisive or tribal leader is unfit to lead a country.Garang and Salva Kiir were and are not there for sake of Southereners, but for their tribe for what they have killed as much as they did in the past.

We are all witnesssing Dinka graduates from different countries around the world are returning to Sudan to hold highest positions in GOSS, Unity and local governments. Example of them are recently graduate returness from Cuba and Calgray-Canada who are currently working in GOSS.
Beside, what are so called lost boys are dominating nongovernmental organizations around the world and in Dinka areas in Sudan where almost international and local orgainzations operate rather than other areas.

Consider these statements from above article, "Mr.John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, met President Salva Kiir and other senior officials in the Government of Southern Sudan."

"Mr. Holmes visited Agok, home to some 30,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who fled Abyei, a town in an oil-rich area of central Sudan that remains in contention between the north and south despite the peace accord."

Salva Kiir has directed him to visit Dinka not Southerners.
You know the meaning of that visit. Mr. Homes will report what he see by his eye and the result of that report shall bring millions of dollar for the benefit of the people he has visit because work UN will be focusing on Dinka people in report.
I also urge those who are concern about missmanagement of SPLM to make a research about the areas where NGOS operate in South and to know staffs running those organizations.

Salva Kiir must be ask about who direct Mr. Homes to Dinka areas.
We need to know and expose the behavior of Dinka to all Sudanese and to Africans and other nations. Let begin now by listing down number of Dinka in government and NGOS to know if Dinka leadership means really New Sudan.