Did SPLM quit or withdraw?

By Atok Dan Baguoot 

In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility, I welcome it said, John F Kennedy. As a political giant of the day, Sudan People’s Liberation Movement SPLM on many occasions had tolerated and survived several waves of political tsunami both within and externally, starting immediately in its earlier years of childhood up to its current maturity. 

The untimely death of founding father and mentor late Dr. John Garang De Mabior, in addition to the sudden collapse of the Soviet Union were some of those unexpected calamities, besides several coup attempts within its rank and file. Military threats from other successive Khartoum-based regimes were just treated as learning experiences hence, they didn’t shake the Movement. 

SPLM is actually a resilient creature compared to the Greek mythological bird called phoenix whose name was used for a bicycle brand because of that outlandish behavior. Phoenix grows old and rejuvenates in a matter of time based on nutritional intake, unlike SPLM which had no nutritional advantage but rejuvenates through its hard time experiences. 

With the recent withdrawal of the SPLM presidential candidate, Comrade Yasser Saeed Arman in the republic presidential race followed by other subsequent withdrawals of some other political parties' candidates, this implies that SPLM can be and can only be the most preferred choice for the marginalized in the sense that if its decision whether wise or foolish can be widely applauded then it still has a wider control of the market. 

In other words, it is the market leader in the political landscape of Sudan. Ecclesiastical phrases talked of times for everything; therefore, time for everything would also be applicable to SPLM after it accomplishes its mission and vision as envisioned by its founders. 

It was founded to treat long illnesses which modern Sudanese society suffered from, so it will always be the political giant in the Sudanese political arena but until its mission is exhausted it will continue recharging itself from people’s quest for liberty. According to its objectives, none of the Sudanese political parties have clear political programs like the one that SPLM forwarded as options to the Sudanese society. 

Back to the event, quit and withdrawal are English terms that are used interchangeably in common situations but according to the linguistic viewpoint, the two have different meanings in their daily use. Quit is to resign from danger with the complete aim of denying your previous stands, whereas withdrawal is to remove something or somebody in a place it was instituted with aim of retrying other possible avenues for further perfections. 

Peter the disciple of Jesus Christ quit after being asked whether he is one of Jesus’ disciples although, it was a tactical move of escaping the danger then it remains quiet because Jesus predicted it. Therefore, what SPLM did was withdraw with the motive of providing Sudanese with possible alternatives if not solutions. When one looks at the current immature and outdated political maneuverings put forth by the National Congress Party NCP of president Omer Bashir as alternatives to Sudanese problems, of course, according to them. 

There need for tough decisions and tough stand is automatically inventory to reach a concrete solution that has fewer loopholes to capitalize upon by the enemy. Now, NCP is in lock ahead on what the next option would be for them to incriminate others into that problem they manufactured. 

Indeed, our situation requires a lot of care and caution in order to see what this pregnant creature will give birth to at the later date agreed upon by gynecologists. Of cause, the world is mad at regionalization and globalization euphoria such that our well-wishers in division ideology are very few thus, there is a need to be prepared for any eventuality in order to avoid cross-legged walks in that long-awaited marathon. 

If the mother delivers a deformed child contrary to what we wished, then the next eventuality would definitely be none other than what we feared most which are cocking our automatic machines, where heaven will give birth to deadly sounds and that is the voice of the rifles. If not then we are prepared for more enslavement. Here, self-determination would only come through the barrel of a gun as Dr. Ghazi Saladin put it during the 1992 Abuja peace negotiation. On the same occasion, he also went on to tell the IGAD countries that they are to fulfill Islamisation and Arabisation agenda hence, self-determination of the South is a none starter. 

If the mother delivers that unfortunate child called unity, the above two components would be the order of the day. SPLM in its agenda of the Sudan that belongs to all Sudanese regardless of their social status, beliefs, and many other phenomena used negatively in Sudan, has never quit because if there was where SPLM can quit, it is on the battlefields but it never did. Look here, ballot papers printed in South Africa and Great Britain were meant for the president of the government of Southern Sudan and the rest of the parliamentary elections while those meant for the president of the republic were printed in Khartoum. 

This actually helps answer the title of my article and it also tells you why a patriotic national party like NCP behaves like a mad person pretending to be ok yet his guilty conscience is in disagreement with him/her. With all these shallow ploys, SPLM had to be flexible a bit and twisted the matter in favor of marginalized Sudanese. Otherwise, NCP is ready to impose an illusionary autocratic and theocratic state of the 19th century in favor of themselves, not even their own biological kids let alone the masses. I don’t think if this is the Sudan that we can live in this 21st century of the modern era where human rights issue is inevitable. 

Since they are never flexible to the theory of times for everything, tell them by your relentless support to SPLM that time for Napoleonic back door policies has come to end with the birth of modern generations and that those still profess in that old model politics are nowhere other than being old fashions that need new modems to operate efficiently. 

This justice fugitive group (NCP) is ready to introduce more Draconian policies in this era of justice if we the masses don’t apply the right remedy at the right time before time could go out of hand. SPLM has succeeded in exposing its hidden nuances internationally therefore, it is your chance for the marginalized to spread it into the hot sun to wither completely or their roots will recuperate through their other soft target of SPLM-DC and begin germinating into worst forms. 

Lastly, be rest assured that this vice of the modern era can mutate through many possible avenues of which some of which are bribery, force, persuasion, and many others which target your soft areas or weak points. In the renowned SPLM kingdom, petty politics of force and bribery were bypassed some years ago and that’s why the Movement survived those hard times of wants with fewer resources.