Illogics of Sudan Panthou Heglig wars

Best article I have read about the conflict of the Sudan. I highly recommend the article: Conflict in Sudan: The logic of war and the current illogical response.

A Creamer Media reporter, Jens W Pedersen pens it far better than the "logic of War" Thambo Mbeki - so much for being so narrow minded about Sudanese history. 

Well, Jens has the most logical alternative to the impasse: 

"Perhaps it is time to mobilise the parties which facilitated and sponsored the CPA, which through a concerted effort managed to carve out an historic deal. Rather than ad-hoc, issue-specific and snap-shot negotiations, a more bold approach is needed that conquers the issues that led to the abandonment of the CPA and its stalemate."

Kudos to Jens W Pedersen for the article.

Condemned: UN and AU "Double Standard" on Sudan Vs South

Condemned: UN and AU "Double Standard" on Sudan Vs South

Republic of South Sudan Visas

On 9th July 2011, Southern Sudan was declared independent, I prefer liberated from oppression but in reality she declared sovereignty - so much to joys and emerging chagrins.

While systems Republic of Sudan and Government of South Sudan (GoSS) officially ceased on 9th July 2011 and Republic of South Sudan (RSS) commenced in the instant, first on the internationally chagrined list: 1. How to get an Entry Visa to the Republic of South Sudan (RSS).

As I write this, here are your average options for entering the Republic of South Sudan:

1. Either Fly to Africa and hope to reach Juba wrath-less without an Entry Permit ; or
2. Enter South Sudan from Addis Ababa, Nairobi or Kampala to process a GoSS Travel Permit. It costs about US$ 50.0, your passport size photographs of you the alien, knowing where any RSS website or Embassy is in an African City, and atleast 30 Minutes of your time to catch your flights.

While the official line is that any Republic of Sudan Visa issued in Juba will be honoured till its expiry, please don't think you will easily enter and wonder in South Sudan on such a visa - fiercely proud South Sudanese immigration and security junior officials will not tolerate such nonesense!

Here is some Visa hope: Two weeks from writing of this article, South Sudan could begin issuing its own standard Visa awash with her own rules and regulations and of course some fees. The key phrase is COULD.

Otherwise some better news are that:

1. ITU assigned the Republic of South Sudan an international telephone code: +211
2. The world's newest republic has a new currency: The South Sudan Pound.
3. The vexing your must register your entry into the Sudan requirement might not continue in the new Republic!

Code 211, because South Sudan became a sovereign state in the year 2011 AD.

Salute Egyptian Military

Independent South Sudan

The inevitable independence of South Sudan is also awash with pessimisms as to whether the South can govern its self. One ARV (an anonymous and possibly a pen name) commenting at the New Vision website discussion merits an exception to the publishing policy of Salam Taki. The ideas are here shared with the audiences of Salam Taki. The analysis is worthy sharing.

Note: The opinions and authorship belong to the author aka ARV.

And Quote:

"....The fact that we the South Sudanese started to struggle for our independence even before the independence of the whole Sudan should not be under estimated. Illiterate South Sudanese were well enlightened enough to know what it means to be independent. How possible is it that we the current generation who went to schools where most of the African and world intellectuals studied be considered incapable of running our own affairs?

I seriously question the intellect, wisdom and even mental status of those who still think South Sudan is not ready for independence. I wonder if at all they know what independence means. I remember asking that colleague of mine in 2006 whether she thought I would not be able to do the same job she is doing for her country (as I have the same qualification to her's) when I go back to Sudan, and whether she thought having been educated in Uganda, I was not capable of managing anything entrusted to me. I actaully [sic] told her she had insulted me indirectly by implying that despite my academic achievements, I would not manage anything well. Well, I worked in Uganda and did just a good job like any other good Ugandan would do. What would prevent me from doing even better in South Sudan?

This is just a simple illustration of how ready we are. There are many more South Sudanese out there both in and out of South Sudan who will take on the role of nation building and governance. Remember, you don't need a genius to lead a country. All you need is a sense of direction - which is very much present in the people of South Sudan.

I know we are facing huge challenges, predominantly due to the nature of most of our people. We are said to be violent, hostile, aggressive, rude, lazy, and all the negative co-notations associated with South Sudanese. Some of these are indeed true while others may not be true. But these can as well be explained by the long period of struggle we went through and loss of law and order over this period meant that people took the law into their hands. Being hostile became a very crucial and inevitable defence mechanism to deter aggressors, thus protective in a sense.

Finally, I urge the prophets of doom to watch out. Their prophesies might haunt them and they will loose any credibility of prophesying again. In the April 2010 Sudan general elections war was predicted. Nothing came out close to that. This very referendum voting process violence and possibly war was also predicted. This time the message from the hostile, aggressive and illiterate South Sudanese (as people say we are) has silenced the whole world and proved beyond doubt that despite our short comings, we know what we want and how to get it right.

Our strong desire to protect and defend South Sudan will be the driving force behind our success."

End quote.

Let the optimisms be put to action. Happy New Year - 2011. Salam Taki feels this is the year of South Sudan.