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English edition -1st quarter 1998
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Agreement for war
| It was in this way that a "Horn of Africa" specialist qualified the
"peace agreement" signed last April between the Sudanese government and
several minor rebel chiefs, certain of whom are completely unknown. The
regime, who had normally played on the tribal divisions, in this way managed
to kill several birds with one stone:
* It appeared to comply with the wishes of world opinion by showing a desire for peace. * It cut the grass from under the feet of the IGAD conference which wanted to force the government to adopt a secular regime or into agreeing to self-determination for the South. * It reduces John Garang, the driving force of the main rebel group the SPLA, to the level of the minor chiefs who had submitted by inviting him to join them. * And above all, on the ground, it turned the ex-rebel chiefs troops against the SPLA. This is why peace agreement should rather be qualified as an agreement for war. What's more, the machiavelian subtlety which directed its conception and elaboration has been cruelly revealed. In our last editorial, we stated how surprised we were at the lack of reaction from the SPLA given the news from Khartoum with its triumphal announcement of their winging over of some ten thousand rebels from the Barh-el-Ghazal region complete with arms. In reality, this defection wasn't one. The central government was fooled by one of the rebel chiefs who had apparently surrendered. Kerubino Kuanyen a Dinka chief from around Wau, was recently named vice-president of the Council for co-ordination of the South and was invited to come to Khartoum for his official investiture. Apparently he declined this perilous honour without doubt for fear of being retained there, of losing his freedom of movement and of becoming nothing more than a puppet in the hands of the Islamic junta. The Sudanese vice-president, general Zubeir Mohammed Saleh offered to go to Aweil to decorate him with the insignia befitting his rank, but Kerubino also declined this offer. Moreover at the same time he announced that thanks to lengthy tractations held with the local SPLA authorities, he had succeeded in obtaining the defection of several thousand fighters who had sworn their personal allegiance to him and who would be coming to reinforce his own units. It is under this cover that several thousands SPLA combatants were able to enter with their arms and, with the support of Kerubino's troops, occupied the town and the airport. A counter attack by the Sudanese troops from the North, backed up by artillery, finally drove them from their positions. However, the town is surrounded. It seems the airport cannot be used being within range of SPLA fire. Wau, one of the three regional capital of the South*, is situated in the Barh-el-Ghazal area to the west of the South Sudan. It's the terminus for a long railway line linking it to the Sudanese system. Aweil, 150 kilometres to the North of Wau is apparently occupied by the SPLA, so cutting off rail communications with the rest of the country. The whole of this region which was relatively calm has suddenly flared up, and the civil population which is prey to famine, tries to find refuge wherever possible. The Sudanese government has forbidden overflight of the region by Sudan Lifeline** aircrafts which are supposed to be bringing food aid to these unfortunate people. With the defection of Kerubino, the other southern leaders who defected to Khartoum appear suspect. In the capital, their praetorian guards were disarmed. The Sudanese vice-president, general Zubeir, who was the instigator of the rendering of the southern chiefs, visited the area to try and prop up their failing wills, but he died in Nasir, a town to the east of the South, in a plane crash caused by bad atmospheric conditions. In Khartoum, the catholic club already closed arbitrarily, was occupied by force. This led to a statement for the catholic archbishop, Mgr Gabriel Zubeir Wako, which we have summarised further in this edition. Fomalhaut * The others being Juba capital of Equatoria and Malakal capital of the Upper-Nile **Emergency aid, particularly food, from the UN and another non-governmental agency for displaced persons in the South. |
| (V.S. February 1998) Fomalhaut |