An Open Letter to my SSNET Friends

An Open Letter to my SSNET Friends

My original arguments have been largely ignored by most respondents. This is truly a shame, since many of the major issues confronting The New Sudan in its Pre-Independence days were addressed in my prior correspondence.
First and foremost, I was merely recommending that a proportional representative democracy be envisioned for our future needs. This would certainly not exclude any minority tribal member. In fact, although I am personally Dinka, many members of my family, still in Sudan, have intermarried within minority tribes and I am strongly in favor of everyone participating in our new country, once we have dealt effectively and permanently with Khartoum.

Secondly, I do not believe that I am "born to rule" or even that the Dinka are "born to rule." Surely, Dinka will be featured prominently in the new government by virtue of sheer numbers. But everyone, on a fair and proportional basis, will have a place at all levels of the new social order.

Thirdly, I want merely to point out that, so far, all tribes have suffered terribly in Southern Sudan in recent decades. However, the Dinka have been especially targeted, enslaved and decimated. We need the cooperation of everyone to ensure that suffering, of all tribes, is diminished! It is shameful that members of even one tribe are enslaved, and this must be redressed.

Fourthly, by applying equitably and judiciously the concepts of representative democracy, everyone will benefit and everyone will have a voice -- whether your tribes have 200,000 members or millions. The central governmental authority (the U.S. equivalent of which is the Executive Branch) will be required to entertain the full spectrum of thoughts, needs and priorities in The New Sudan. And these priorities will be ratified by the Parliamentary Body we all designate.

If you really read my lengthy letter transmitted a few days ago, you would have grasped that I was merely saying how needless much of this suffering really is! We need, most of all, to unite against the Northern Oppressor and, using funding provided by all of us, wrench our freedom from them and move ahead democratically to our own destiny as a new nation.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a certain futility in our efforts on SSNET:

Only two or three people have sent in money to the SPLM.

You're not contributing -- but you are chattering away like squirrels!

You are all geographically dispersed and no one is listening to you at policy-making and command posts in Juba or elsewhere!

The SSNET group seems to be ranting and raving in endless circles, focused on internal disputes and minor details - just when unity, force and decisiveness are necessary!

The on-going SSNET dialogue seems saturated with tired and misguided voices. We need an infusion of originality and innovative thinking! And a new direction that will lead us, in close cooperation with the actual leaders of our Movement, closer and closer to our objectives: freedom, alleviation of suffering and a stable socio-economic foundation on which to build the New Sudan.

Yours respectfully,
[confidential signature]

February 22, 2001