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The Founding of the Sudan People's
Revolution: SPLM/SPLA (1983-2005)
By: Arop
Madut Arop, The New Sudan Vision (NSV),
"Garang, the son of my mother, have you come?
Take over the command from here. Chagai, my work is finished: give
me something to drink and let's celebrate the start of the
Revolution." -Karbino Kuanyin de Bol, May 13, 1983;
Sudan's
Painful Road to Peace, the latest book written by a Sudanese
Journalist/Writer Arop Madut Arop, is a full story about the
founding and development of the Sudan People's Liberation
Movement/Army and its subsequent military campaigns (1983-2005). The
SPLM/SPLA Campaigns which have now changed the political landscape
of the Sudan and which may alter its political map apparently
forever, were concluded with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace
Agreement (CPA) between the South and the North in Kenya in January
2005. Because of SPLM's political importance and the impact and
effect it has had on regional politics in general and at the entire
people of the Sudan particularly in the south, its constituency, the
world at large awaits anxiously the smooth implementations of this
important historical landmark agreement in spirit and letter. It is
important to keep on reminding ourselves each year when we
commemorate the founding and development of the SPLM/SPLA. This
demand that during the celebrations we must throw some highlights on
the Movement not only as reminder for the veterans who made this
history but for the younger generations who will inherit this land
mark episode. It will also refresh the memories of the generations
who have fought, sacrificing so much in order for their people to
enjoy the fruits of freedom, dignity and wellbeing like the rest of
the civilized people worldwide. For the benefits of the readers of
The New Sudan Vision on this historical day, we hereby give you some
of these highlights below:
Background to the Bor Uprising
Before we talk about the founding and the development of the SPLM/SPLA,
it is very instructive and important to give some highlights about
the politics that led to the start of the second war. Indeed, the
politics that preceded the SPLA war in 1983 were that of dismantling
of the Addis Ababa Agreement by the May Regime and attempts being
made by the people of the Southern Sudan to maintain it (1972-1982).
The struggle between the May Regime and the regional government
unfortunately led to widespread discontent throughout the Southern
Sudan. This discontent soon led to the formation of many underground
insurrections each mobilising the people of the South Sudan for the
resumption of the war of liberating their region, a liberation
struggle brought to a halt by the May Regime in 1972, when the south
was given portions that fell from the high tables of the northern
political elite which they euphemistically called regional self
rules. Basically, some of the main effective underground cells were,
the National Action Movement (NAM) led by veteran politicians,
Joseph Oduho, Akuot Atem de Mayen; Benjamin Bol Akok and Samuel Gai
Tut just to mention a few. There was also the Movement for the Total
Liberation of Southern Sudan, headed by students movement mainly in
Equatoria and SOSSA student organisation based in Egypt. The most
important and effective rebel cell was the Anya Nya Absorbed Forces
Underground Movement that had notoriously been active through the
ten years of peace in the Southern Region. This underground cell was
born and bred by veteran Anya Nya Absorbed Forces who were opposed
to the Addis Ababa Agreement. Some of these officers who were
initially opposed to the Addis Ababa Agreement right from the start
and who were mainly from Bahr al Ghazal Region, were located in
Bussere (Camp some 12 miles South of Wau Town). Though the leader of
this underground cell was Colonel Emmanuel Abuur Nhial, the brain
behind it was three officers: Captain John Garang de Mabior, Lt.
Colonel Stephen Madut Baak, Lt Colonel Joseph Kuol Amoum, Lt Colonel
Deng Aluk and Major Albino Akol Akol. This movement did also have
membership in Upper Nile and Equatoria.
When the plot was discovered that this
group may wreck the peace agreement and return the country back to
war, both the regional and national authorities acted immediately.
Colonel Abuur was promoted to Brigadier and posted to Wau as second
in command to a northern Commander in order to keep him away from
Bussere Camp. Captain John Garang whom the authorities feared most
being a University graduate was promoted to major and transferred
away from Bussere to Bor as commander of the absorbed Forces there.
He was later transferred to the North and in order to keep him away
from the Sudan, John Garang was given scholarship after another for
the next ten years.
As for Stephen Madut Baak, another
notorious officer who was totally opposed to the Agreement, he was
transferred to Jebeit in Port Sudan as trainer officer of Non
Commissioned Officers (NCOs). The rest of the most senior Anya Nya
officers, among them Andrew Makur Thou, Joseph Kuol Amuom, Albino
Akol Akol, Alison Manani Magaya and Habakuk Soro while keeping them
under security surveillance were given higher positions in the
government each time they show signs of rebellion.
In effort to rid them from the army
where they pose threat to the peace agreement the Anya Nya most
senior officers were later on put in the interim Government of
General Rassass in 1981. Many of them were either given early
retirement from the army or given constitutional post after another
and always away from the south where they may have some influence on
the deteriorating security situation triggered by the May Regime'
policies of dismantling the Addis Ababa Agreement.
The May Regime having effectively got
rid of the Anya Nya senior officers in the army it was natural that
the next move was to transfer the remaining Anya Nya officers and
men of Battalions 110,111,104,105,116 and 117 away from the south
and scattered them all over the northern Sudan were they would only
be individuals. But even this attempt to nib the underground
revolution in the bud didn't stem out the underground cells
completely. On the contrary the movement was taken over by junior
officers among them Francis Ngor Makiech and Salva Kiir Mayardit,
Abdalla Chuol and Chagai Atem. Such was the political and security
hostile environments in the Southern Sudan when the actual leader of
the Anya Nya Absorbed Forces Revolutionary Movement, Colonel John
Garang de Mabior returned to the country from USA in 1981. The
authorities, aware of imminent danger John Garang presence in the
south would contribute to the discontentment prevailing in the south
resulting from the May Regime scorched earth policies, Colonel
Garang was posted to the Army General Head Quarters in Khartoum.
This positing was a blessing for Garang as it enabled him to
reorganize the underground revolution discreetly by remote control.
In February 1982, it was decided that
the Revolution should be launched on August 18th, the date on which
the first uprising took place in Torit in 1955. But discovering that
the plot was discovered by the authorities and that the potential
rebellious battalions were earmarked for transfer to the North, the
Underground Revolution changed the deadline. Under the disguise that
he was going on leave so as to start his agricultural farm in
Jonglei Province, his home area, John Garang de Mabior moved to Bor
in order to launch the revolution by proximity. Garang remained
there till the Bor Uprising when he led the rebels forces to
Ethiopia where he later launched the revolution.
Part 2
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HISTORY
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