THE TAIL OF A TERRIFIED HOUSE GUARD; ISAIAH ABRAHAM, MENDING RELATIONS WITH SUDAN

Isaiah Abrahams says Khartoum, though has a case, must give peace a chance (Sudan tribune, 28th Nov.2012). As I read the story, the question which first came to my mind was: Who is this Isaiah Abraham? This name had been in the news since 2011. But the language and style of writing differs from time to time and email addresses are not enough authentic identification of the person who can claim authority for the documents he writes.

However, the Isaiah Abraham of today, talking about peace with Sudan and admitting some facts which our Government deems as a betrayal to mention, reminds me of His Excellency Aleu Ayieny(adviser to President) who, in 2008 revealed some excerpts of the investigation report on the events which let to the untimely death of John Garang, a move which made others to think he was running crazy; but this is always the attitude of brave people. Despite many of his bogus claims below, I commend on him the fact that he admits South Sudan always blames Khartoum for what it should blame itself. Let me put on board the truths and untruths of some excerpts emanating from his plea for peace with Sudan.

DIPLOMACY PAYS RESPECT TO OTHER NATIONS!
Chronically, the Sudanese leaders from day one have all along charged that South Sudan is supporting and harboring their dissidents and are arming rebels fighting their government. The world has also stack odds against Juba on this matter of SPLA-North; that Juba should severe its link with the rebels fighting Khartoum regime. The United States of America in (USA) in particular was critical, a confirmation of which that led to scandalous alleged apology written by President Salva to President Barrack Hussein Obama of the USA. South Sudan Information Minister has since attempted to undo the damage to no avail. What on earth could it be that a leader of another country will have to kneel down to another leader in another part of the world? South Sudanese conscience was wounded if the purported letter was indeed written and dispatched.

Isaiah Abraham is skirting the truth that President Salva had been on record denying and admitting from time to time his support for the Sudan rebels. This was not coined up by the World to which the United States of America is part of it. The USA among the World Nations is our most honest ally, brokering peace between South Sudan and Sudan, financing and help negotiate the CPA, giving South Sudan huge financial support since 2005, helped in the referendum leading to our independence, and so on and on; the US had not savored her effort to help South Sudan. If you could lie to such a friend, your credibility is a moral curse. Apology is an admission of wrong, and a friend like the US deserves it. President Salva did nothing wrong; the real wrong was the denial of apology by his Government spoke person. We must respect the leaders of other Nations if we are to be respected as leaders of our Country. Our Diplomacy must pay respect to the
leaders of World Nations; Isaiah Abraham got it wrong.

MEETING THE TRUTH, THE DANGLING TAIL FOR PEACE.
But the sequence of theories helps us understand where did things go wrong in the first for the Government of the Republic of South Sudan. Before any jumps to poke blame against the Republic of the Sudan for A and B matters and condemn it, there is an urged need to reexamine our approach toward Sudan and see whether there is somewhere we can find accommodation for our needed relationship. We should also be active solution oriented partner than struck in our comfortable closet of being dismissive of Khartoum. Therefore the charge that our country is supporting SPLM/A-North must not be thrown out of the window just because Sudanese were our enemies.

This is the truth! That is why President Salva had to apologize to President Obama. This is the truth; that is what the SPLM-DC had always been advising our Government, but why we were accused and are still being accused of collaboration with Khartoum will remain a question still to be asked by Abraham from the SPLM Government. But Isaiah Abraham got it right; it seems we are now coming to live with reality of truth.

THE BLAME GAME VS.TRUTH.
The argument by South Sudan leaders that the matter of SPLM/A-North is an internal matter doesn't hold water. It is not enough in itself. How about our charge that Dr. Lam Akol of the Democratic Change and Major David Yau Yau are supported by Khartoum, isn't that not an internal affair of our country? Why do we call their differences with their rebels 'internal affair' and never call ours the same? We must choose between peace and war and not both. Peace is what our people want, not war.

This is another truth, we always blame Khartoum when at the same time we do not want Khartoum to blame us. The political problems of Khartoum are their internal affairs, as also are our problems in Juba; this truism must not be one sided. Trading blames promotes war while saying the truth makes peace; we are now learning! But how come we learn after all the damages, are we terrified by oil shut down?! No problem, seeing is believing, and this is good for Isaiah Abraham. But, as this truth holds, we need to clean our house than to wait for Khartoum to clean theirs, make peace with Yau Yau than to lounge envious propaganda against Dr. Lam.

NO ESCAPE GOAT!
Khartoum will continue to find a reason to disturb our hard won peace. They will go for feeble hearted ones and apologists like Dr. Lam to press their case against us. Khartoum might not be realistic in their demand on disarmament of their dissidents, but we aren't being truthful . One of the Azania's (South Sudan) strategic goal is peace and development so to improve the living standards of our people. Our leaders must demonstrate to Khartoum their willingness to open a new chapter, so for our people to enjoy peace and development after ages of neglect.

Isaiah Abraham is here confused between blaming and expressing his loyalty to his Government, hence changing his first stance by switching blame to Khartoum and abusively connecting Dr. Lam without substantive grounds thereto . This is the usual uncouth style of the type who wants to beg favor from authority. It is just the SPLM lousy talk saying that Khartoum is being unrealistic in demanding disarmament of their dissidents and at the same time saying that we are being untruthful; so who is right, the unrealistic or untruthful and what way out!; that is why the security agreement has no progress. Is this Khartoum's problem or your problem when you are in great need of oil money! Are we now not playing the tail of a terrified house guard? That is why Dr.Lam advised against the shut down of oil to be described as feeble apologist!

THE INFORMERS!
Our leadership in Juba should not live the lie that the world doesn't know who arms rebels fighting Khartoum. UN Mission is informing them about every activity in our land. Moreover Khartoum has their own informers, Southerners whose loyalty is divided, especially those on the payroll of Khartoum, those that claim to be opposition groups but they aren't. The Democratic Change of Lam Akol is on top of things. We have also many Northerners around that are doing the dirty job against the Republic of South Sudan. What is more or new? Yes, Khartoum has informers including the NCP-South, now a member of South Sudan Government. The SPLM-DC is not in the Government of South Sudan, hence they are out of knowledge of what goes on in the Government. But why would the SPLM-DC be an informer of Khartoum when it has the leverage of an opposition Party to object what the Government does which is wrong to their knowledge?

Those in the payroll of Khartoum must be within the SPLM Government, especially now that there is no more oil money to be stolen; that is why the Addis agreement was signed against the will of Southerners, can Abraham tell us that they are not Khartoum informers in its payroll?

TIT FOR TAT OR GIVE AND TAKE!
As for Khartoum, they must show maturity and patience against the Republic of South Sudan. They got to kick out Lam Akol and stop supporting David Yau Yau or any other clandestine groups. Time for harmony is here. They got to respect the agreement they have signed with the Republic of South Sudan. They should cease fire on the air against innocent civilians. Their rebels aren't Southerners and our people can't die again like that. They should allow oil production to resume and stop their rogue media from inflammatory remarks against South Sudan leaders or the ruling political party (the SPLM). The President of our Republic however must not join Khartoum belligerency path, but go for peace where he may find it. I was glad that he wanted to pursue it, and if that is the case then he should talk less and work hard for it. If Juba is wrong Khartoum must not go wrong also.

So the tail is tightly tugged between the legs of the house guard! But if we have nothing to give to Khartoum in order to take what we want, Khartoum will still play the tit for tat game. Since Mr. Abraham and President Kiir already admitted their support to Khartoum rebels, the ball for security agreement being implemented still remains in the court of SPLM Government. It is not enough to say you are no longer doing what you had admitted to have been doing.

We in the SPLM-DC want peace both in the South and Sudan. And if the SPLM Government can make peace with Sudan as it was signed in Addis, it goes without saying that we have no reason or even mandate to refuse peace. What we had expressed as an opposition was that this agreement had nothing much to offer other than the re-opening of oil which we had advised before against its shut down. But it came at a huge price, we had to give up 'Mile-14' and forgo the cost of the stolen oil that prompted the shut down in the first place. Further more, we had always been advising the two Governments to negotiate with their rebels.

This peace with the rebels should have been adopted by the SPLM Government since 2009. But lo and behold! The SPLM Government had been using the 'buy or kill' tactics with the rebels. It bought off Peter Gadet, David Yau Yau, Tang Ginya and others. At the same time attacked the rebels who had assembled in places set by the SPLA for 'integration'. This was the case with Olony near Malakal, Tang Ginya at Kaldak and Gatluak Gai near Bentiu. Even with George Athor who was killed after reaching an agreement in Nairobi with the Leader of SPLM and President of the Republic. This last fact was said by the President himself in church in December 2011. David Yau Yau who is fighting today in Pibor area ran away from Juba after discovering the hollowness of SPLM'S promises to him. Can we blame Khartoum for his rebellion for the second time? Can we blame the other rebels after having gone through that terrible experience for being skeptical about SPLM/SPLA seriousness in making peace with them? When the SPLM/SPLA was making deals with those rebels, was the SPLM-DC involved? It was not so, where does the SPLM-DC or Dr. Lam come in here? The SPLM Government should ask itself, 'what went wrong' than to shift blame to its innocent citizens and political parties. Stop looking for scapegoats and behaving like ostriches. Face the reality head on and be serious in making peace with South Sudan rebels.

For the information of Isaiah Abraham and his ilk, Dr. Lam did not declare war on the Government of the republic of South Sudan, as the rebels did, to be 'kicked-out of Sudan as part of any deal on security arrangements. SPLM/SPLA knows the rebels they have been dealing with all this time. As a matter of fact, Dr. Lam no longer lives in Khartoum to be kicked out by Sudan Government even if it wished. Dr. Lam is the leader of the official and legal opposition in South Sudan. SPLM-DC's methods in opposing the Government are political and peaceful. Because of your intolerance to the other point of view, you created the lie that SPLM-DC had militia and now you have come around to believe your own lie. It is not SPLM-DC's problem but yours to get yourselves out of that state of make-believe phobia.

We want peace, security and freedom in our Country. It disturbs the mind when SPLM Government makes peace with Sudan and not with its own people.

Thanks,
Deng Bior Deng.( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)