Abyei case: Diplomatic solution alone won't help BY: Isaiah Abraham, JUBA
MAY 25/2011, SSN; Well, the situation in Abyei at the moment requires a response, not just talking. I don’t want to waste your time beating around the bush. Yes, Abyei case is so complex and unpredictable, but the reality is that someone has invaded the Southern territory, threatened to move deep, the idea of talking alone would not help right now. Talking about fighting to find a ‘solution’ is a waste of time. Therefore if I were god, I would have allowed the two sides to square it out and then talk. If this author sounds like drumming the war then ask yourself where do we go from here? The Northern army choice of going for military solution about Abyei dispute other than talking has put everything to square one. The people of the South must not just hope for others to help, the situation before them must be fixed militarily! Look, Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) supported by armed Arab nomads (Messiriya) after entering Abyei with no one fighting them, cleared the place of civilians or unarmed people, looting it, burning it to the ground and moving swiftly southwards, what do you make of this atrocities? As if that is not enough, the President of the Republic unilaterally threw out Abyei Administration and called for United Nations to go hang. The National Congress Party (NCP) cohorts everywhere are laughing off any diplomatic options when the mission of annexing Abyei has easily been accomplished within 7 hours on Saturday. The visiting United Nations Security Council powerful delegation headed by Dr. Suzan Rice couldn’t find peace within them or courage to say anything to the media about events in Abyei. It embarrasses, yeah? In as much as it embarrasses the Southern government and the public. Our people couldn’t believe that SAF could force their way into Southern piece of land and get away with it. I for one couldn’t believe my ears that the Arabs I have fought with ‘bare hands’ and can claim my land at day break today. My conscience and pride has been wounded! May the 20 or so tanks from the invading Northern Army not return to the North, oh Garang! This is a moment for Southerners to think about this aggression by the Arabs. It will not end in Abyei but Dinka, Nuer and Chollo areas along that border will suffer the same treatment. The territorial integrity of my people will have to be protected and this demands the followings: our men in uniform must do what they know best and that is to bundle SAF out from Abyei and the areas in Western Upper Nile State (Bentiu). Since this the path the President of the NCP has chosen, the Southern army must teach Arabs one or two lessons, that invasion of someone else land is heavily paid for. After all, we have nothing to lose again; we had already suffered. Secondly, there is no appealing pressure to abandon Abyei per flying suggestion that the land should be left as a political island between North and South, the same as Lesotho is at the heart of South Africa. No way! This piece of South land was single-handedly decreed by the Presidency with little or no consultation at all to the then Southern leadership. The land is exclusively a Southern territory! Any dead or living Southerner is loyal to the land of Abyei. Juba leadership should not make any mistake of compromising in the name of peace. There is no peace to keep anymore when a blooded-nosed Arab sword hang on our necks. Arabs have started again to cause us trouble; they are at Babanusa and beyond not in Abyei land. All areas that bear the Arab names north of Abyei will have to be brought back by every possible means. Imagine the birth place of Hon. Deng Aloor has a funny Arab name, what a nosy people called Messiriya think they are. Abyei must not be left behind, please!!! My people, the Abyei case has been there and no one should throw the towel in yet about it. Naivasha Accord (Abyei Protocol) had tried to address the issue of Abyei once and for all, unfortunately the invisible hands of spoilers from the NCP at the behest of Messiriya made it difficult to put the Protocol in practice. Messiriya nomads have made their intention clear about doing everything to take the two regions to war. Let no one deceive the public therefore that Arabs will voluntarily leave Abyei without any significant military pressure. Our men know it and trust their military balance against Arab invaders. Third, just to repeat myself- the cry about external help shouldn’t carry us away from internal military realities. War has knocked at our doors and before we ask the United Nations or United States, we got to show Arab that they have walked into territory owned by Gen. Mabutu Mamur Mete, Gen. Gat Mai, Gen. Pieng D. Majok and Gen. Thomas Cirilo Swaka; none of the aforesaid men have ever returned from Arab battle field with his head down. But that was then, how about now? Gen. Abdulrehiim Hussein must not be mesmerized by the past of dropping bombs, scorched earth the land and pray in the evening with ‘peace of mind’. We might not be powerful like Northerners militarily but we have rested for the past six years. President Kiir, please don’t go on your knees begging Al Bashir to appoint anyone in Abyei or withdraw his forces; the plan has been there to occupy that land, get down to business of protecting the Southern territory and let Marial Benjamin lie. It pains everyone when our brothers and sisters in Abyei pour away tears of helplessness before a marauding Messiriya invading Southern land. Children and mothers are moving to Akon and Warnok with nothing in their hands or anything to support them at all. A man clears the land and sits there, what do you think he will do next. How do we celebrate the Independence Occasion when we are at war with the North? July 9 Day will never change whether we are at war with the North or not. Kiir-Machar we need Abyei back!!! Isaiah Abraham lives in Juba; [email protected] COMMENTS, PLEASE CLICK HERE Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author(s) and do not represent those of the website. -- 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.
