Kerryn Williams
On July 30, John Garang, leader of the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), died when the Ugandan helicopter that he was travelling in crashed near the Sudanese border. Garang was at the forefront of securing the January 9 peace agreement after more than two decades of war in southern Sudan between the SPLM and the Khartoum government.
Speaking to Green Left Weekly on August 11, David Lokosang, chairperson of the SPLM's NSW chapter, said Garang's death was "really very tragic and very sad for all of us, particularly those of us from marginalised areas who were hoping that he would continue to deliver them peace, freedom, justice, equality and democracy in Sudan".
"Sudan for quite a long time has been in civil war due to injustice by the various regimes in Khartoum", Lokosang explained. Garang was the "engineer and the vision — the man who could push forward" the peace process. "All of us need peace. We have to stick together and make sure the peace process continues. Otherwise, if it fails, he will have died for nothing."
In the days following Garang's death, riots and unrest broke out across Sudan, resulting in 130 deaths. According to Lokosang, this was "a national reaction by people who have suffered for almost half a century". Many people "believed that it wasn't an accidental death and that the government might be behind it".
The level of support for Garang, Lokosang explained, was indicated when he first arrived in Khartoum in July to take up the country's vice-presidency. The "6 million who attended his welcoming ceremony showed that he had supporters everywhere — from south to north, west to east".
Lokosang discussed the international committee that has been established to work together with the Ugandan government to establish how the helicopter crashed. "There's a lot of speculation but we don't comment on the speculation, we'll just ensure that the investigation is complete", he said.
The most important elements of the peace agreement, Lokosang said, include "that the formation of the interim government must be according to the terms of the agreement, where the representation is fair". Previously, "people from southern Sudan and other marginalised areas were not represented, but this time we've agreed that there must be fair and equal participation".
National elections are scheduled to be held in 2009.
"Most important", Lokosang said, "is the question of self-determination", which is "the right of the people who have suffered". The agreement allows for a referendum in 2011 on self-determination for the south. He explained that the unity of the south with the rest of Sudan "must be voluntary", so "we must work together to satisfy the needs of the people to make sure they vote for the unity of the country".
"We have come to the time where there must be democracy", Lokosang said, adding that "development, justice and equality and freedom of religion and cultures" are key to peace.
"The priority is that people must be educated and a good health system and jobs must be created so people can work and earn a living... We must make sure that all this is delivered. Because without delivering [this], definitely people won't vote for the unity."
Lokosang said that the curfew imposed after the riots must be lifted. "If the situation returns to normal it will be lifted because nobody would like to live in a restricted situation where they are not free to move."
Explaining the basis for the SPLM's long struggle for justice, Lokosang said: "Basically injustice and discrimination — that is why there had been this struggle to create a new Sudan where everyone is regarded as equal, regardless of colour, religion and ethnicity."
The various governments that have been in power in Khartoum were "based on religion and racism — basically Islam and Arabism. They have been implementing an Islamic state in Sudan. But in Sudan there are many religions and many cultures — like Australia — so if you want to implement one culture, people of other cultures will counteract that."
The SPLM's objective is the "creation of a united, secular, democratic Sudan". Lokosang hopes that "the National Congress Party, under President Bashir, will be in a position of responsibility, because we don't want history to repeat itself. Let them make sure that the peace agreement is implemented, and the peace process in the east and the people from Darfur must be included to make sure there is peace and justice and freedom in all of Sudan."
From Green Left Weekly, August 17, 2005.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.