Defeating the National Congress Party's (NCP) 'divide and conquer' policy

United States - The strategists in Khartoum have mastered the art of "divide and conquer" to the level of finesse; it is no longer done with the element of stealth, but shockingly in broad daylight.

In dealing with the international community's interest in resolving one conflict, Khartoum had always diverted attention by creating another emergency that the west had to respond to, jeopardizing the international community's interest in seeing the first resolved, and weakening their negotiating power for ending the latter.

Therefore, calling on the Khartoum government to act responsibly is irresponsible of all regional and international actors. This government is acting according to its agenda and interest of entrenching its threatened control over Sudan's people and resources, at the expense of its people's needs, wishes, and even lives.

Division within

To achieve this control, the NCP is using the "divide and conquer" method of pitting a community against another, a clan against another, and that of arming Para-militias recruited from the members of one community or group to destroy other communities or groups; all in the name of Jihad and resource acquisition by employing bribery and power as mobilization incentives for poor marginalized groups and communities, those in turn pick up arms against the other(s).

Darfur is not Sudan's first genocide; there was Southern Sudan, the Nuba Mountains, and Blue Nile. Each not only [was] a theatre of war, but also a front line of resistance that each began as the people demonstrated and or rebelled against marginalization by the central government, and Khartoum attempted to quell each by genocidal tactics and outright war.

Additionally, if the power paradigm continues, as it exists now, Darfur will not be the last genocide of the NCP. There are looming dangers of an explosion of conflict in Nubia, in the far northern part of the country, and a resumption of hostilities along the North-South Border.

Division without

The international actors are guided by their interests in Sudan, be they political, economic, or cultural, and all in one way or another seem to outweigh their interest of protecting the Human Rights of the Sudanese people, which is so ardently championed by these actors' populations in the case of governments and members in the case of organizations.

On the one hand, bolstering the security of their national territories and interests abroad, ensuring the satisfaction of their populations' hunger for growth, development, and oil, and promoting their authority through efforts of democratization or arabization; are but accepted and expected activities of the nation state, and therefore "legitimate!"

Because of these "legitimate" interests and projects, the regional and international actors' activities against Sudan's disregard to the human rights of its populations have been reduced to empty promises and threats.

On the other hand, the fact that foreign relations and national security policies are not guided by ethic but by interests - where the end justifies the means, dictates that moral criticism will prove unfruitful.

Nonetheless, it should be acknowledged that such an approach towards the NCP would entail that concessions be made in the demands and actions necessary to address the human rights abuses while allowances be given in the negotiations and transfers necessary to ensure the "legitimate" interests of all actors.

It follows then that, such irresolution will only empower the NCP to further evade any pressure on it to stop the human rights abuses and genocide by negotiating on the awarding of contracts and the release of information here and there, just enough to keep all actors checked.

Therefore, the best bargaining chip in the NCP's arsenal is the lack of decisive and amalgamated political will of the regional and international actors stemming from the justified preoccupation with serving their competing "legitimate" interests.

The Way Forward

The only way to defeat the "divide and conquer" tactic so mastered by Khartoum is to unite. The people of Sudan must unite! And the regional and international actors must stand and act in solidarity of their unity.

The people of Sudan have a common struggle and a common vision, which is hindered by a government that rather than ensuring their well being, it marginalizes them, and uses them in waging genocidal wars against one another. The people of Sudan should build solidarity with one another, and stand firm as a fortified shield against their further exploitation by such a government. They should demand their freedom to exercise their right to: 1) self determine, 2) choose or reform their government or inform its activities, and 3) hold its government accountable.

The CPA provides measures for the transformation of the system of governance in Sudan; these are the 2009 national elections, and the 2011 referendum.

All regional and international actors should therefore be in solidarity with the Sudanese people by ensuring that these elections would be transparent and fair, and that every citizen of voting age is assured his/her freedom to vote (including the large Sudanese Diaspora), by staying committed to reaching a cease-fire and a political resolution to the Darfur Crisis.

Moreover, the above should be done while supporting the planned census with monetary, technical, and logistical support, and by providing oversight and coordination support for the return of IDPs and refugees. As well as, by exerting pressure on the NCP (Presidency) to stay committed to the implementation of the CPA, especially the Demarcation of Borders, the full implementation of the Abyei Protocol, and the complete re-deployment of Sudan Armed Forces to the North, and the disarmament of Other Armed groups, especially along the borders.

Instead of being divided and conquered, the unity of the people, and the concerted efforts of the regional and international actors in solidarity with the people will transform and reshape the government of Sudan in 2009, into a government of greater equitable distribution of power, and therefore laying the foundations for a Sudan with equitable distribution of resources and development and where all citizens are equall in the eyes of the law regardless of race, religion or ethnicity.

*Jakok Mi Char is a Southern Sudanese citizen residing in the United States and can be reached at jakokmichar@gmail.com.