Communist Party offical warns of war and dictatorship
In an interview with Aisha Al-Samani of Al-Khartoum Newspaper Member of Sudanese Communist Party Central Committee, Joseph Modesto described the current climate as not well prepared for a fair referendum to be carried out, and expressed his worries that separation may produce a dictatorial government in Southern Sudan. Interviewer: Aisha Al-Samani
\"The current climate is undemocratic and the referendum result will not reflect the Southern people’s opinions.\"
Joseph Modesto
How do you read the political scene in the South and the North during the period before the referendum?
The right to self-determination, I believe, is controlled by governments that did not come to power through free and fair elections; the Government of National Congress Party (NCP) in the North and the Government of the Sudan People\'s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in the South. Therefore, the elections did not result in the democratic change the peace agreement is intended to achieve. Under freedoms restricting laws that still exist and prevent freedom of expression or gathering whether in the North or South, the referendum is not expected to be that fair or transparent. Additionally, important post-referendum issues are still unsettled and must be settled before the referendum whatever its result is. Boundaries must be defined if war is to be avoided between the South and the North. A glance at the Eritrean-Ethiopian war is enough to recognize the urgency of the situation, especially that the reason of that war is unimportant in comparison with that of the borders between South and North Sudan, in that the borders area is rich in copper and oil. Defining borders issues must be settled, or else it would turn into pretence for conflict every now and then. Additionally, Abyei issue as well as other issues like citizenship must be settled.
Where do the Southern people who are in civil service in the North or in military service, the students, those northern people in the South or southern retirees get their salaries from? Who is to grant those whose military service is about to end their rights? All those issues must be solved before carrying out the referendum so that citizens’ worries in the South and North are relieved. When people in Khashem Al-Kerbeh Village were asked to submit their application, Northern Sudanese and Nubians\' applications were accepted whereas those of Southern people were declined; this aroused the Southerner people’s worries. I call the two partners to settle those issues and to reach a compromise concerning the four freedoms.
What developments do you expect, if the referendum is carried out without settling these issues?
Many problematic issues would arise. For example; if the referendum’s result is the separation of the South from North Sudan, the NCP as well as foreign countries might not recognize the existence of a state of no defined borders, as such recognition and the state sovereignty are closely related to its being of defined borders. Also, who is to deal with border problems, if faced, is it the Northern or the Southern Sudan? There are also the tribes on both sides of the borders which will be thus in a very difficult situation. Civil public service is another issue that must be dealt with; having ended their services, retirees know not whom to take their right from. Is it from the old Sudan or from Southern Sudan?Since Southern Sudan Government calls for separation, the result of the voting within this climate will be the opinion of the NCP in the North, and that of the SPLM in the South. And here lies the risk; southern people will be said not to have determined their fate freely and transparently.Southern people have the right to practice their rights freely, and opportunities for educating citizens on their right to self-determination must be opened before the civil and political society. The majority of southern people do not have an idea about the right to self-determination. This may bring forth a dictatorial Government that will not implement the development and service program intended to raise the southern people’s standards of living. The issue of the right to self-determination is not that easy.
What view do you have of the current climate? Is it well prepared for carrying out the referendum?
Clauses of the Referendum Law stipulate that for a referendum to be carried out, a well-prepared climate has to exist. However, no one implements this law as democracy, freedom of expression and gathering are absent in both the North and the South. One of the decisions of the inter-southern dialogue includes that southern people should have the right to express themselves and their right to self-determination by different means including state media and without any interference of Southern Sudan Government, which is not possible now. The right to self- determination is a democratic right that needs a democratic climate to be practiced within; it cannot be practiced in such conditions and with the southern people being unaware of.
Frankly speaking and depending on your detection of the southern people’s opinions, is it unity or separation they want?
In cities, it is difficult to detect the dominant opinion even depending on demonstrations taking place on the 9th of each month to call for separation. These demonstrations are attended, according to my information, by students and state-officials, because the government stands behind, which is similar to what Khartoum Government does. Ordinary citizens do not attend such activities because of the widespread status of apathy, and those who are aware of their right to self-determination keep their opinions undeclared, to express them only through polls as they know that such a right is expressed only in this way. For example, in the inter-southern conference, a person was advocating the choice of separation; being familiar with him, I asked him when going out about his reason for supporting separation, his answer was \"it is a consumptive issue, I am for unity\".
When he found himself in a separation advocating climate, he had such attitude so that conferees would be pleased with him. Also, in a symposium about the issue, all speakers, except one, advocated separation and attendants agreed on that. At the end of the symposium, a group of women came to that advocating unity speaker saying that they were for unity; however they could not state this openly. I know a lot of southern people are with unity, but they are afraid of declaring that since the government of the South dictates separation and prohibits expressing otherwise. Southern people have suffered a lot throughout history, but this does not exclude unity as an option. What about the South African case? What if all problems are settled and freedom is granted in both parts of Sudan so that people can express their attitudes towards unity and separation openly? If the referendum is carried out in the current climate, whatever the result may be, doubts will surround its reality as reflecting the southern people’s decision due to the fact that both governments are dictatorial.
How do you evaluate inter-southern dialogue, its outputs and the seriousness of SPLM regarding implementing these outputs?
Inter-southern dialogue is definitely a step on the right path. SPLM as a united party intends the referendum to be carried out on the 9th of January, however finds problems in the south to exceed its ability to settle by its own. First, Southern political forces are not united; each of Lam Akol party, other southern parties and the southern leaders of nationalist parties have different programs from that of SPLM. Additionally, SPLM\'s members, such as the leader Ator, have problems with the South Government. These problems led SPLM to ask for the contribution of the others. Since they will not be able to enter a referendum being heavily loaded by such burdens, they firstly thought of uniting the southern people. Dialogue has come after President Salva Kir granted amnesty for armed people, and had reconciliation with Lam Akol with Bona Malwal as a mediator. The climate was proper for the dialogue, which was characterized by SPLM having opened its heart to the people. They mentioned all bad practices it had done, such as election rigging, other southern parties having no representation in legislative councils though it was potential, the right of expression which lacked in the previous southern dialogue, the peace agreement not implemented in a proper way, in addition to much more important issues, including the pivotal issue of the dialogue: the fair and free referendum.
Therefore, the dialogue was useful, positive and of good results, as the first decision was that the referendum should be fair, free and transparent.Second, whether advocating unity or separation, people should have equal opportunities for expressing themselves in whatever place and through state media. Southern Sudan Government should offer financial support and work to educate people on the right to self-determination. For the purpose of following up these decisions, a body representing all parties was formed. Additionally, a charter of honor has been signed by all to prevent violence and problems. The government was asked to involve not the Sudan People\'s Liberation Army (SPLA) in the referendum monitoring, because in the elections SPLA used corrupted methods, and to authorize the police to protect the polls. The body formed assembles once a month, while president Salva Kir has the right to call for extraordinary meetings when needed. The conference was successful and the nationalist natured political parties had a good role in promoting the trend of unity. One of the southern parties, however, thought that people should be educated on separation only, but we refused this saying that people must be educated on expressing their right to self-determination, in addition to unity and separation. We also stressed the importance of the referendum to be free and fair, and this is what the recommendations included.
Do you expect SPLM to delay the referendum due to the improper climate you described and to solve the other issues first?
Carrying out the referendum in the 9th of January is the SPLM\'s intention clearly expressed in the inter-southern dialogue, hence delaying is definitely an excluded option, but, everything is possible as I imagine. Since SPLM is not alone and has partners who might affect it abroad, the referendum might be delayed.
What challenges might Southern Sudan face due to separation, if that happens?
Challenges includes, in the first place, recognizing the state with boarders not yet defined, the civil service issue, contiguity areas, oil, northern-southern relationships. Combined together, these issues may lead to a war, though President Al-Bashir and Vice-President Salva Kir have declared that they are against another war, and that all political forces should adhere to this attitude since another war will be so hard, and consequently peace should be the aim whether unity or separation is the result.
This is an edited and translated version of an interview that was first published in Al-Khartoum newspaper in November 2010.
