We cannot win through war, Gosh says

After a period of detention that lasted seven months and 17 days, Major General Salah Abdallah Gosh, the former National Security Advisor of the Republic of Sudan, and former Director of Sudan’s National Security and Intelligence Services, was released on July 10. Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir granted amnesty to him on the first day of Ramadan.

Gosh was arrested on charges of participation in a coup attempt against the government in Sudan in collaboration with Brigadier General Mohammed Abdul Jalil Ibrahim alias ‘Wad Ibrahim’ in November 2012.

On a visit to his hometown Merowe, in the Northern State, The Niles correspondent Adam Mohamed Ahmed met Gosh, who shed some light on the circumstances of his release and his vision of the future of Sudan:

Q: What are the circumstances of your release?

A: Normal circumstances -- I was called to be released with the group of ‘Wad Ibrahim’, who asked for mercy, but I refused and demanded the trial.

Q: Was there a deal struck for your release?

A: There was no deal.

Q: How do you view your position within the National Congress Party (NCP) after over seven months of detention?

A: I have forgiven all those who offended me and I want to be a normal member of the NCP. I can work at any position, however, if I am told that my presence is not wanted, my options are still open. I never refused to work for the party in the past, I ran for elections and won a seat in the parliament.

Q: How do you see your political future?

A: I want to go beyond personal issues and focus on public problems.

Q: How do you see the Islamic government?

A: I think that everyone in Sudan agrees with the Islamic government. People however disagree on the priorities of such a government. For example, Sadiq al-Mahdi believes that freedoms are the priority. Some believe that reviving the economy is a priority, and yet others see settling the border issues as the priority.

Therefore we must ask the people about their opinions and whoever believes in Al-Mahdi’s way shall vote for him for example.

Q: You were in charge of relations with South Sudan in the past. How do you think the problems with Juba can be solved?

A: The South is not one entity, it is a mistake to deal with all of South Sudan as the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), even if we disagree with it as a ruling party.

We are supposed to build a future between the two peoples, and the disagreement between the ruling parties in Sudan and South Sudan must not become obstacles for future generations.

For example, I am against the closure of the border with the South, because it hurts the people of the South and not the SPLM.

I think that there is a small faction within the SPLM standing against us. It is an influential group within the movement. I think that we cannot win through war, we must work to create a community within South Sudan that sees our point of view and fights this faction.

Q: What about Juba supporting the rebel groups in Sudan?

A: In my opinion, as long as the ruling group remains the same as it was before independence, the South’s support for rebel movements will continue.

I remember when we were dealing with the SPLM before secession. The movement was basing all its decision on Yasir Arman. We could not agree on anything unless Arman was convinced. This is the reality, and we must find a way to deal with it.

Q: How can the South Kordofan and Blue Nile issues be solved?

A: If we can address the people of these two regions, bypassing the SPLM-North we can resolve these issues. However, we are devoted to finding solutions with the leadership of the movement, and this is one of the mistakes we are committing.

Q: Do you mean to circumvent the influence of the SPLM-North in the two regions? How is that possible?

A: It is very difficult, but we must find a way to talk to the people and really get to them, this is the only way to solve these issues.