From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Fri Oct 09 2009 - 14:31:02 EDT
SPLM-Democratic Change Leader Lam Akol Talks to Asharq Al-Awsat
07/10/2009
By Ismail Adam
Khartoum, Asharq Al-Awsat - Lam Akol, leader of the Sudan People's
Liberation Movement- Democratic Change [SPLM-Democratic Change] Party, a
party that split from the SPLM, which is a partner in the government of
Sudan, has launched a fierce attack on the SPLM. Akol says that after the
comprehensive peace agreement the SPLM had the opportunity in the south to
implement its ideas, but it failed, moreover it turned the south into
"hell."
Akol, who is a former foreign minister, in an interview conducted by Asharq
Al-Awsat in his house in southern Khartoum, accuses the leaders of the SPLM
of corruption and says that corruption in the south spreads from "top to
bottom," and presents evidence on this.
On the other hand, Akol denies strongly that his party is nothing more than
a southern copy of the ruling National Congress Party, which is led by
President Omar al-Bashir. Akol says: "This accusation does not deserve to be
denied, because it comes from people who want to escape from reality."
Akol, who is a former university professor, reveals that he has the funds to
participate in the upcoming elections. However, he keeps silent about the
sources financing him "unless the others reveal their sources of finance."
Akol declares his challenge: "We will participate in the elections, we will
win, and we will implement the peace agreement." He also denies that he has
"military force."
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What were the motives and aims of yourself and others
splitting from the SPLM and forming a parallel party under the name
"SPLM-Democratic Change?"
[Akol] The members of any party are a group who engage in a contract of
political action, and who have common principles and ideas. Some of them,
when they do not find any role in the party, will split from it; I do not
think that they can continue. The SPLM, which augured to be a national
movement with ideas, principles, and programs, found a great deal of
acceptance among the people. This is proved by the thundering reception with
which the delegation of the movement was met in the SPLM first visit to
Khartoum after the signing of the peace agreement. However, the SPLM did not
honor what it promised the people, and failure accompanied every step it
took.
After the signing of the agreement, the south became an opportunity for the
SPLM to prove to the world that its project could be implemented, this was
because the entire south was handed over to the SPLM, whether in
administration or in security. There are some 8 billion dollars that reached
the south in the past four years from the oil revenues, but there is no
evidence whatsoever that this sum was spent on issues that interest the
citizen. The fact is that the south has no services, from education to
health; the citizen now reminisces regretfully and says that the war days
were better than the peace days now, security is lacking, and the war erupts
in all the provinces of the south except two provinces.
The current leaders of the SPLM are the ones who have let the masses down,
and hence the democratic change project came to rescue the SPLM, which
controls power in the south. The SPLM now have the opportunity to rule the
south and create stability; however, rather than becoming stable, the south
now has turned into hell. There is no freedom in the south now, when the
leaders of the SPLM are making a great deal of noise in Khartoum about the
democratic change. Therefore, there is a disparity between words and deeds.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] You have said that the lack of a role for you in the SPLM
was one of the motives for splitting from the movement and for forming the
new party. However, you are a well-known leading member of the movement, and
you assumed the post of foreign minister; Is this not a senior role in the
SPLM?
[Akol] I am saying a role, not post. This is because I do not think that the
post will add anything to me. The role is to influence the decision making.
For instance, when I was foreign minister the result was that the movement
was running after me. This is not the stance of the movement, but it is a
personal stance. The SPLM was not capable of playing the national role.
Moreover, look at the post of the first vice president, which is a senior
post, you will find that currently it is vacant. This is because First Vice
President Salva Kiir is in South Sudan nearly permanently rather than in
Khartoum, and hence the movement has not benefited from him. What do the
eight SPLM ministers in the national unity government do? Also there is the
drawing up of the SPLM policies and stances toward the major national
issues, such as the UN forces in Darfur, the International Criminal Court,
and the census. All this does not give you the impression that the SPLM is a
responsible movement that has national programs.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] The SPLM has been fighting for over 20 years. Is it fair
to label it a failure after four years in government? Is this a hasty
judgment?
[Akol] (Interrupting) How long does the Sudanese Governments continue? (I
did not answer, and then he interrupted me again) How long does the US
Government continue?
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Four years?
[[Akol] (continuing his answer) Thus, the US Government is given four years
by those who gave it their confidence in order to achieve something
[interrupted]
[Asharq Al-Awsat] (I interrupted him) But the US president does not govern a
country that has just come out of a war, or an unstable country. He rules a
country that has been stable for many decades. Therefore, there is no
comparison between the two cases?
[Akol] (He continued asking me) What is the problem that has been caused by
the war in the south all along the past years?
[Asharq Al-Awsat] (I answered) There are many problems; the least of which
is there is no infrastructure, and if it exists it is destroyed because of
the war. The southern government is starting from the effects of war?
[Akol] No, this is not true. The SPLM inherited buildings from 1974. Also
the SPLM inherited the resources of a complete state in the south, without
anything missing; also during the past years it has been dealing with a
budget of 1 billion dollars every year. Therefore, where is the problem that
hinders the SPLM from working to implement its ideas?
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Anyone who visits the south will see roadwork, for
instance, in the major cities, such as the capital Juba, Malkal, or Waw?
[Akol] This also is not true at all. In Juba there is only one road that
leads to the airport; where are the other roads in the city? Brother, Juba
is all dust, because there are many cars, but there are no paved roads. Now,
the citizen in Juba feels that the city is polluted because of the dust.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] You have been accused of being a political worrier. This
worry is what motivated you to split from the SPLM. It is the same worry
that was the reason for the first split from the movement in the beginning
of the nineties?
[Akol] I do not understand what you mean by political worry. I am a man who
has principles, and the party is the means to implement these principles. If
the party fails in implementing the principles in which you believe, you
will leave the party, and you will not be a hostage, or abandon your ideas
and principles. The same ideas over which I disagreed with the SPLM in 1991
(the first split by Akol from the SPLM) made me disagree with the National
Congress Party in 2002 (Akol returned to Khartoum in 1996 after the
agreement called the Khartoum Peace Agreement, but he rebelled against
Khartoum again in 2002, and returned to the jungle again, and joined the
SPLM again). These are the same ideas that we want to express through the
SPLM-Democratic Change. If the party becomes incapable of implementing your
ideas, you ought to leave it without any regrets.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] These transfers are considered not to help in implementing
the ideas, and [interrupted]?
[Akol] (Interrupting) This is not a transfer, because my ideas are firm, and
I have not changed anything in them [interrupted].
[Asharq Al-Awsat] (Interrupting) You are rejecting the word "transfer" from
one party to another. Therefore, let us say "leaving" the party. Some people
consider that "leaving the party you adopt as a means of rectifying the
situation always is debited from your political account. Is this true?
[Akol] No, what I did was not leaving; they are the ones who are leaving the
SPLM through their practices all along the past years.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Why aren't you working at changing the situation from
within, especially since you are a leading member of the movement, rather
than leave it and form a new party?
[Akol] The change from within is possible when you have a role within the
movement.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Where is your role, and the role of your supporters in
thinking to introduce change from within?
[Akol] If you were absent from any institution of the party, how can you
influence it? How can you introduce change?
[Asharq Al-Awsat] You are a leading member, and you have supporters and
followers who represent your way of thinking. You can create this role?
[Akol] There is no democracy in the SPLM. Change does not come except
through democracy. The Political Bureau of the movement is appointed, and I
have not been appointed to the Political Bureau; therefore, how can I
introduce change from within?
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you expect your party - the SPLM-Democratic Change - to
have a role in the south during the upcoming period in the light of the
SPLM's control of the south?
[Akol] How can it not have a role? We have announced this role. We would
like to implement the ideas of the SPLM in the south; the SPLM has failed,
and hence given us the opportunity to implement its ideas in the land of the
south. It has failed.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] But also your party currently is only in Khartoum, and it
does not exist in the south?
[Akol] We have held a general congress for the party in which delegations
from all the southern provinces participated. The same number of delegations
required for the conference [quorum] came. This indicates that we have a
presence in the south.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] There are those who believe your move represents only your
tribe, the southern Al-Shalak Tribe?
[Akol] No, Al-Shalak is a part of one province in Southern Sudan. Perhaps
they are one third of a province, because there are other tribes in Upper
Nile Province, such as Al-Nuwayr, Al-Dinka, Al-Maban, and so on. All these
came to the conference. Well, what do you say about those who came from
other provinces such as Al-Buhayrat, Warab, and other provinces, which do
not include the Al-Shalak Tribe?
[Asharq Al-Awsat] They say that the SPLM-Democratic Change represents a
blatant expression of the competition between Akol and SPLM Secretary
General Pagan Amum, the son of the same tribe, within the SPLM?
[Akol] Why do they create other aims for our movement that are different
from the aims I listed to you earlier?
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Perhaps you forgot to mention this goal?
[Akol] No, I mentioned all the aims, and you have no right to mention any
other aims.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] You accuse the SPLM of spending 8 billion dollars in the
past years without having any significant return for public life in the
south. In your assessment, what is the reason?
[Akol] Corruption, the corruption now in the south is from top to bottom,
but no one is being investigated, not to mention being presented to court.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What is the evidence?
[Akol] The leaders of the movement are buying houses in the United States,
Australia, South Africa, and Uganda. Where did they get the money? Their
families now are abroad, while they ask the others to return to the south.
If your family has not returned, is it conceivable to ask the others to
bring back their families? Ask them this question.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Perhaps their sons have academic ties abroad that have not
completed yet?
[Akol] All our children used to study abroad, but now here they are studying
at home.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Is corruption only at the level of the leadership in the
center, or is it also at the local level in the south?
[Akol] It is at all levels. If corruption starts at the top, it will cascade
down.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Are you prepared for the upcoming elections?
[Akol] Yes, we are prepared, and the general conference of the party
approved this.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] At what level?
[Akol] At all levels.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Even at the presidential level?
[Akol] At all levels.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] The SPLM accuses you of being another copy of the National
Congress?
[Akol] (Asking) How solid is this accusation?
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Your sudden emergence and the big support you have
obtained from the National Congress Party?
[Akol] This is not a solid accusation. Are not there enough internal
motivations for the establishment of our party? Does the establishment of a
party stem from external and not internal factors? The motives I mention are
stronger. Why does the National Congress Party choose Dr Lam Akol and not
the others to form another party in the south?
[Asharq Al-Awsat] This is because in the past period there has been
rapprochement between you and them over many of the issues?
[Akol] In what field?
[Asharq Al-Awsat] In all political aspects and on the issues of the peace
agreement?
[Akol] Brother, the National Congress Party has joint committees with the
SPLM, which meet everyday, and perhaps more than once a day. Do you call
this rapprochement between the two sides?
[Asharq Al-Awsat] But between the two sides there is an agreement that
necessarily needs to be implemented?
[Akol] Then, what do you call what is between us and the National Congress
Party?
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Then, you strongly deny the circulating rumors about the
existence of a relationship between your party and the National Congress
Party?
[Akol] This talk does not deserve to be denied, because it comes from people
who want to escape from reality. The SPLM leaders are only trying to throw
their mistakes on others; they do not recognize their failure in
administering the south, and they are looking for someone else to accuse.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] They accuse you of obtaining funds from the National
Congress Party to form your party?
[Akol] Where is the evidence?
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Originally, you did not have the funds to form a party,
but suddenly the party was formed?
[Akol] Why do not I have funds, but they have?
[Asharq Al-Awsat] They are a movement, and you are an individual?
[Akol] These are not a movement, they are individuals.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you deny the existence of an institution called the
SPLM?
[Akol] The movement is administered through individuals. There is no
democracy within the movement, and this is the reason we left it.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Then, where did you get the finance to form the party?
[Akol] Where did the others get the finance? Invite all the parties, and ask
us where we got the finance; then I will talk about our sources for
financing the party. Why do you ask about our sources of finance, and not
about the others' sources of finance? Why ask us alone?
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Transparency dictates that you talk about your sources of
finance?
[Akol] Then we all have to be transparent.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What is your stance toward the self-determination
referendum in the south?
[Akol] Our party's stance is the implementation of the peace agreement,
because it is the one that brought the referendum. What is required is to
purge many things, the most important of which is to administer the south in
a proper way, and to direct the billions that the south gets to the
establishment of services for the citizen. The citizen in the south should
feel that there is a government in the south that came as a result of the
peace agreement, and that the unification is attractive.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Is not the attraction of unification the responsibility of
the north?
[Akol] Yes, the movement according to the agreement is committed to stand by
unification.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] So is the other partner, the National Congress Party?
[Akol] Yes, it is a joint responsibility of the two sides. The SPLM ought to
make the unification attractive, rather than to say that the north ought to
do this. The SPLM ought to make the unification attractive at the Foreign
Ministry, at the Council of Ministers, at the Investment Ministry, at the
Ministry of External Trade, at the Ministry of Health, at the Ministry of
Higher Education, and at all the ministries in which the SPLM is present
according to the partnership.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Who is responsible for ¬ making the unification
attractive?
[Akol] Both partners are responsible. They both made mistakes in the past
period. However, the largest mistake was committed by the SPLM; rather than
working in partnership with the National Congress Party, it allied itself
with the opposition powers. The SPLM cannot be in government and in the
opposition simultaneously. What do you expect from the other partner if you
are allying yourself with his opponent? Imagine what the situation would be
if the National Congress Party allied itself with people opposing the SPLM.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Should we expect that your party would ally itself with
any of the political powers in the upcoming period?
[Akol] Yes, there is no political party that operates in vacuum, and
alliance with political powers is part of the resolutions of the general
conference of the party. Our criterion is the acceptance by these powers of
the comprehensive peace agreement. We might hold a coalition with these
powers even after the elections in order to form a coalition government. All
these are possibilities.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Observations indicate that your alliance with the National
Congress Party is the most probable?
[Akol] Why is this considered the most probable prediction? These are your
illusions. You have imagined certain things, and then built inferences on
them. We establish alliances on the basis of our declared principles and
stances. Whoever wants to weave stances for us that are different from our
real stances let him "feel free to do so."
[Asharq Al-Awsat] The SPLM acquires its influence on the arena through the
peace agreement. From where will you acquire influence in the upcoming
period, especially when you talk about the elections?
[Akol] The influence will come through the elections. We will participate in
the elections, we will win, and we will implement the peace agreement.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Talking about influence, does Dr Akol possess military
force?
[Akol] The Sudanese people are the ones who protect the peace agreement, and
not the armies.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you deny that the People's Army, the forces of the
SPLM, is an integral part in the implementation of the peace agreement?
[Akol] The People's Army is part of the institutions of the southern
government.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] It also is an influential side in the operations of
implementing the peace agreement?
[Akol] But, what does it do?
[Asharq Al-Awsat] From time to time, there are threats from the two sides of
returning to war. This means referring to the armed forces in the south (the
People's Army) or in the north (the Sudanese Army)?
[Akol] These are meaningless words. I do not think that the war will erupt
again though the threats of both sides.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Then, you do not possess any military force in the south?
[Akol] This is well known. I do not have even a single soldier in the south.
We have announced this before the Party Council.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] There are those who believe that your movements at home
and abroad aims at obtaining weapons for your party in preparation for any
developments in the south?
[Akol] If any one wants weapons why should he go abroad? Weapons are
available in abundance at home. This does not need any foreign moves. Our
future is in peaceful action, and we are confident that the people are with
us. We are working to participate in the upcoming elections; therefore, why
should we create instability? Those who are afraid of the elections are the
ones who accuse others of this.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] At the moment there are security tensions in the south.
Based on what you know, what are the reasons?
[Akol] There is lack of stability and wars in the south; "tension" is an
understatement. The reason is the weakness of the SPLM and its inability to
spread its prestige all over the south.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Does your party have a role in the current tension, as
some people accuse you?
[Akol] No, on the contrary, we now are trying to contain the situation.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the holding of the
elections next April?
[Akol] I am very optimistic that the situation will proceed in the direction
of the elections.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What was the aim of your recent visit to Egypt?
[Akol] It was political work. I am a leader of a party, and I have the right
to visit anywhere I wish. We have relations with Egypt.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Was the purpose of the visit getting financial support?
[Akol] We are committed to the Sudanese Parties Law, which prohibits any
party from getting any financial support from abroad. We are not like the
others.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Does your party have funds to help it in participating in
the upcoming elections?
[Akol] The masses are with us.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you mean the sons of your tribe, Al-Shalak?
[Akol] Brother, write down: When you say that we rely only on Al-Shalak,
this is slandering us. We are a movement in the entire south. What you have
said is similar to saying that the SPLM is only the Dink party, to which
belong the current SPLM Leader Salva Kiir, and the late leader Dr John
Garang.
----[This List to be used for Eritrea Related News Only]----