Re: A letter to the SPLM leaders in Nuba Mountains/South Kordofan State

by Bella Kodi

The Netherlands
November 16, 2007

Dear Isaac,

Reading your letter to the SPLM leadership in Nuba Mountains/South Kordofan,  I think that you did not have the full resolution of the Kauda workshop and that you depended mainly on the information in the media. I have read the resolution and would like to address some of the points you made:

1 - The workshop behind closed doors:
I think the real reason for having the workshop behind the closed door is not to allow outsiders to have any influence on the outcome of the workshop. It is quite normal that any political party or organisation wants to discuss its internal issues and make future plans away from the media and the political opponents.

2 - commander Telephone Kuku:
I personally know him from long ago, when he was still a captain and when he tried to surrender to the enemy with SPLM forces. He was arrested and sent to the SPLA HQ in South. He is now in Khartoum under the wing of the NCP, that gave him cars, money, an office and everything he needs. But the main problem facing him is that he did not have the support of the Nuba People.

The future of the Nuba Mountains will not be decided in Khartoum but by its own people. We have some groups, like the Nuba Forum and others, who seem to prefer that the Nuba People would be ruled by the JALABA, rahterh than being free. They have no confidence in themselves . When I was in Sudan in August Cdr Daniel told me that the SPLM political bureau in NM has formed a committee headed by himself to meet with Telephone Kuku. The SPLM continues to consider Telephone and others as brothers and sister.
 
3 - The Nuba People should keep all the options open in case South Sudan secedes:
You describe it as "delicate and fragile". It seems to me that you wrote this without considering the CPA. I think it would be good if you go back to the protocol of Southern Kordofan/ Nuba Mountains to read it carefully.

The agreement provides for a popular consultation: the Nuba People and the People of Southern Kordofan will elect legislatures, and the legislatures will establish a Parliamentary Assessment and Evaluation commission to assess and evaluate the implementation of the CPA. The CPA can be renegotiated. This can include the right of self determination for the NM.

The process depends on the people who will be chosen in the Assembly of Southern Kordofan. In short: if we Nuba want self determination then we have to vote for the SPLM Party. But if we want to be in North then we can vote for Telephone Kuku and teh Nuba Forum. So the future of the Nuba Mountains will not be determined by the SPLM leadership, but by the its own people. It requires from us, as SPLM members were ever we are, to work hard to explain the CPA to our people and to prepare them for the coming election.

I think It's very crucial for us as Nuba people to understand the difference between the SPLM deciding the future of the Nuba, and the SPLM deciding on the position it takes as a political party.
 
4 - Separation of Southern Sudan:
If it happens that the southerners chose to go, it will be because of the bad policy of the Northern governments ever since the independence of the country. We as Nuba have nothing to fear. The South will be our neighbour and our strong brother, and even if the South would chose to govern itself, the SPLM as a party will remain one and the SPLA will also remain one.
 
5 - Your Survey in Europe:
The result of your survey made me very curious. Whom did you interview? Where are they living? Indeed many people in teh Nuba Mountains or in Europe may not be satisfied with the CPA: that does not mean that the majority of the Nuba people are not supporting the SPLM.  I think you heard about the welcome Deputy Governor Daniel Kodi received in Kadugli: that is a clear referendum. People made their choice.

We in Europe can't change the reality on the ground. The main achievement of the CPA is to stop the fighting. And for the first time in the history of Sudan, the Nuba have the right to take part in the process of decision making. Nuba can rule their own land. The children are free to learn their own languages in the school. Nuba people are free to talk about their rights. This all was not possible without the sacrifices of the SPLM/A.

Finally:
I will forward you the outcome of the Kauda workshop. I think you will find it interesting.

With my best regards,
Bella Kodi

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