Nuba Mountains: A Cry of Anger on the Ears of the SPLM

By Mohamed Ali Fazari

Decemver 12, 2010
(published on Sudan Vision Daily)

The periodical forum of Sudanese Media Centre (SMC) on the situation of the Nuba Mountains in the secession has changed totally into sharp criticism on Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), wherever all speakers hold responsible the SPLM for marginalizing their area after more than two decades of war on the same ratification.

The founder of the National Movement on Rights and Citizenship and a prominent leader of the Nuba Mountains (Colonel) Abdel Rahman Ragab Yacoub stated that they defected SPLM because it adopted tribalism and nepotism. Considering that issue on the rule is far different from that of the SPLM.

Yacoub cautioned SPLM adoption of secession will fragment the Sudan asking the National Congress party (NCP) to change its policy and not to go on the same way that the SPLM chose to go. Adding that SPLM adoption of secession has shocked many people in the area of the Nuba Mountains, Colonel Yacoub who is also a leader of SANU has slammed popular consultation said it does not meet the needs of people of the Nuba Mountains. According to him, it is a vague conception as the majority of the citizens do not know its article. Yacoub went on to say that  their struggle  inside asking the central  government to recognize  the political forces that participated  in the election particularly that  existed in South Kordofan putting a package of demands   namely representation  of Nuba Mountains sons without exemption with allocation of  40% for the state in Military, Police, Security and Law colleges besides repatriation  of Eastern Kordofan  State and its capital city  of Tolodi together with western Kordofan state  which has been integrated  as well as establishing a big university in the area.

In a reply to a question raised by Sudan Vision  on why sons of the Nuba Mountains  kept silent for a long time to speak up now? Colonel Yacoub replied that they were not silent but their voice did not reach the top leadership of the SPLM, adding that the country did not go with values of the Nuba Mountains.

On the other side, Colonel Yacoub  spoke bitterly  on the marginalization  of the Nuba Mountains leaders  in the SPLM; "The sons of the Nuba Mountains  are marginalized  even salaries of soldiers go from Khartoum to Juba then back to he area  from south Sudan, said Colonel  appealed to the SPLM leadership to free  Major General Telephone Kuku Talha who was detained  in Juba for months considered the detention of Kuku is the SPLM violation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA)and the agreement with the Nuba Mountains, asked GoSS to review the decision.

On his part, prominent leader El Tayeb Hassan Bedawi stated that the government does not seal seriously with the issue of the Nuba Mountains, adding while speaking to MSMC forum that most remarkable issues of the Nuba Mountains area are marginalization in development and the effective political participation. He also directed a vehement attack on the SPLM accusing it of exploiting the sons of the area to become as shields of war and an over to address its countless challenges according to him that will never ever happen today.

Bedawi lamented that there are more than 30 thousand soldiers in the SPLM from the Nuba Mountains warning that the situation may lead to a turmoil if the SPLM opts to marginalizing people of the area according to him the sideway is adoption of understanding which exists in the state government and the efforts exerted by Abdel Aziz Adam Al Heilu, Deputy governor and his colleagues.

Finally, the dramatic development of the Nuba Mountains area seem to be for many observes and analysts that the SMPL wants to say good-bye to the people of the area at the time it prepares to declare  a peaceful divorce with the north.

It may take the same path with people of the Nuba Mountains, but the Nuba Mountains leaders think, even though it is too late that the SPLM turns it back to the comrade of jungles and colleague of the past war, the question remains without answer; "why should the SPLM decide to leave those people; if so, will the coming divorce going to be peaceful and who can pay the cost of the dowry?". The few days ahead might bring an answer to this question.  

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