Sudan internal front needs to be united as external forces benefit from south separation: Prof. Abu Shouk
10 January, 2011
Kuala Lumpur, Jan. 1, 2011 (Sudanow)- Dean of International Institute for Muslim Unity Prof. Ahmed Ibrahim Abu Shouk has called for uniting Sudan’s internal front and affirmed that many external forces were seeking for separation of south Sudan for their own interests.
In a lecture organized by the Sudanese Students Association at the International Islamic University of Malaysia here on Saturday under the title “Sudan and Self-determination Referendum”, Prof. Abu Shouk affirmed that Uganda and Kenya have interests in separation of south Sudan because they would benefit from the rich resources of the south.
He further added that “Israel also has interests in south Sudan separation to get a share in the Nile water, while America as well is seeking for the south cessation to control Sudan’s petroleum and replace the Chinese and Malaysian companies with American ones”.
He went on to affirm that the entire dispute was over petroleum and urged the Sudanese people to unite their internal front to block the way before the enemies of Sudan.
Prof. Abu Shouk, who is also a lecturer of history and Islamic civilization at the International Islamic University of Malaysia and a renowned Sudanese historian and author, explained that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed between north and south Sudan in January 2005, has theatrically addressed many issues relating to identity, citizenship, the relation between religion and state and power and wealth sharing.
He said that establishment of an attractive unity was associated with the honest and professional implementation of the CPA.
“The CPA has tried to resolve some key issues and developed solutions better than the ones presented in Addis Ababa agreement for the southern sector”, he said.
“The CPA has faced many problems in terms of implementation. True that there were many items that were implemented on the ground, but the Naivasha partners, the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), have disagreed in many occasions regarding the implementation, where in the last moments the SPLM was closer to the opposition than to the government, which affected the government performance, slowed down the progress of the agreement and made unity unattractive”, Prof. Abu Shouk explained.
He inquired as what were the available options then, and answered saying “presently there are only tow options: to face the hazards of the separation or reformulate the standing unity”.
As for the future of Sudan in case south Sudan separated, he anticipated that “if the south separated, Sudan will be a center for foreign interventions and the problem will be more complicated than what is currently going on in Iraq. Additionally, the ceiling of the negotiations in Darfur will rise and there could be coalition between Darfur and south Sudan to raise the ceiling of the negotiations, not to mention the eastern front which will also be affected. Therefore, all these issues should be taken into consideration”.
Regarding the Nile water, Prof. Abu Shouk said that “dividing Sudan into two states will open the door for other countries to intervene to push for reformulation of the Nile Water Agreement. In this case Sudan will greatly be affected as the regional and international alliances would be reformulated within the context of the two independent Sudanese states which separated from one another”.
With respect to external interests, he explained that “we should not believe that America or any other country will serve the interests of north or south Sudan because these countries have permanent interests but not permanent friends. Therefore, the external frame and the framework of alliances and the American and Israeli interests would be reformulated in the entire region”.
Prof. Abu Shouk concluded that in case of separation, the situation will be critical with negative implications on both the north and south and if there was any tension, the result would be war which we gained nothing from it but destruction.
The professor believed that the only remaining option for the Sudanese people in the coming few days was the CPA.
“The CPA, with its loopholes, is the only way out as unity, whatever it is, remains the best option. However, implementation of the CPA and restoration of trust between the two parties needs a strong political will if we consider the standing reality”, he concluded.
END
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