Towns hold rallies to spread spirit of 'new nation'

By DAVID OCHAMI

Aweil, the capital of Northern Bahr el-Ghazal state is a charred town in South Sudan’s North West which borders the Central Africa Republic.

It has an old railroad that connects it to Wau in the South and Khartoum to the North.

During the North-South civil war Aweil, like many Southern Sudan towns was occupied by Sudan Armed Forces (SAF). In many ways, according to Paul Malong, the governor of Northern Bahr el-Ghazal, this is "frontline state" for bordering the disputed Abyei region and Southern Darfur.

The state of Aweil and Bahr Ghazal share the separatist spirit swelling throughout Sudan.

On the ninth day of every month Aweil and Juba, South Sudan’s capital have spearheaded mass rallies organised by the autonomous government and pro-secession South Sudan Youth Forum. Twice in November and December Kenyan MPs have visited Aweil and Juba to show solidarity for the referendum. According to the Forum’s chairman Benjamin Bol Mel the residents of Aweil and the rest of South Sudan hold these meetings "to reassert commitment to our new nation."

Independence

"We are only waiting to confirm our independence," says Bol who chides North Sudan with the Forum’s slogan "We are gone (from the Sudanese Union)", reflecting the general spirit in these parts.

"We are engaged in a diplomatic fight for independence but we are urging the youth to be ready for any eventuality," he adds referring to what most South Sudanese believe is a conspiracy by the authorities in Khartoum to sow insecurity ahead of the January 9 referendum.

Southern Sudan will go to the polls from 9 to 15 January to vote on whether the South should secede from the rest of the country. The referendum will be the culmination of the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended two decades of war between the North and the South.