Southern Parliament, throw out ’South Sudan’ proposed name Article Comments (0) Email PrintSave --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
February 26, 2011 — We have heard the ruling party in the Southern Sudan (the SPLM) going by the name ‘South Sudan’ against other names on the believe that the name ‘South Sudan’ is familiar and many people have used it, fought for it and should be retained. The so-called political opposition groups have also seconded the said controversial name, and the Southern Legislative Assembly is left with the task of rubber stamp it any time soon before July 9 this year. The leaders of that party were upbeat that everything will just be fine there in that House (Southern Parliament) owing to their large voting bloc. Few weeks ago after referendum it was understood that the government in power in the South was trying to use the name ‘South Sudan’ spasmodically before July 9, and also until majority agrees on the naming. Now we are coerce to accept the name ‘South Sudan’ because unionists have flanked our people under their ‘project for life’ named as new Sudan. To them, the retention of word ‘Sudan’ will ease in the future the reunification of the country. That is why these men made no pretention to keep the name of the SPLM party in tact, despite political realities facing the two regions. Some of us can’t understand what’s going on within that party when our people chose to look East African after Sudan unity was confirmed to be a mirage. They know the remaining part of the Sudan is happy to keep the word ‘Sudan’ yet they insist on keeping the word ‘Sudan’ for reasons contrary to conventional thinking. Name of the country is as important as the country itself; as you can see from neighboring Congo. Laurent Desire Kabila senior when he assumes power in 1997, the first pronouncement and change he had to make was the name of the Republic. Norwegian 100 years ago made similar shift, and the list goes on. We can’t be different from others. We are breaking away forever, and this should informed our decisions on anything be it passport shape, colors of sovereignty or TV use in our offices. The name ‘South Sudan’ hence is politically an amorphous one and doesn’t reflect why we decided to break rank with the North. We have said it sixty times over that the name ‘South Sudan’ must go along with an Islamist’s manuscript on top of our notes- ‘bismillah al rahman al rahiim’. After all, the name was a slur coined by Arabs to differentiate our race from others. Whether the North will still hold on to the word Sudan or drops it, let’s go for something else. I thought we have been saying that the name is about identity and nothing special and historic about ‘Sudan’ name. Rhodesia name was abandoned by Zambia and Zimbabwe, why? Because the name Rhodesia was attached to colonial masters in that region, the same way the word ‘Sudan’ is connected to Arabs (our colonial masters). For record sake, our people had tried to name this republic long time ago using whatever name that came to their minds, and they were absolutely right. You have heard of Anyidi, Azania, Imatong, Sudd, Abyssinia, the Nile Republic among other names and these efforts were meant to severe us from the Northern Arabs. Today our leaders aren’t ashame of using the word ‘Sudan’, what a pity? The likes of Dr. Marial Benjamin are singing the tunes of Malek Agger on future confederation scheme between the two regions. I have a conviction in my heart that the bunch of unionists within the people party (SPLM) has a larger project to unite us with the North in many years to come. Gen. Lagu had minced no word that the name ‘South Sudan’ should be left as a ‘room’ for possible reunification of the Sudan when ‘Arabs come to their senses’. I don’t know whether we can continue to blow hot and cold all the time. We are indeed bad students of history. Uncle Lagu fought so hard and has lived among ‘wolves’ and still carry a stomach to suggest living with the Northerners. Fortunately or unfortunately, the people on the streets don’t care these days about anything whether be name or corruption so long as they are free. They could have told Uncle Makungu that he was on the wrong side of history. But for the sake of tomorrow, the two sides of the old Sudan should now amicably separate and there forever. Separate two names are good for the two sides. The House therefore should rise up against partisanship and do the necessary national duty of stopping the SPLM unionists from dragging us back to hell known as the old Sudan. We are tired and sick of warning these elements within us who aren’t reading the mood of our people. Its not about the SPLM party however, that party is good but about a few that are still dreaming when everybody has woken up. Kindly give us a name, even if you call it Garang or Tafeng, not ‘south Sudan’. There is no way some of us should shoke it on our throats when they know that it is not popular. End the debate of the name by coming up with a suitable name that will cement our resolve we have just made in January (referendum). If you go by the SPLM unionists project of returning us to the ‘wilderness’ in thirty or forty years to come we will hold you responsible and accountable for failing the people. Away with the name ‘South Sudan’! Isaiah Abraham lives in Juba; he is reachable at [email protected] -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD info" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
