Al-Ahram Weekly | Region | 'We're not preparing for war'

Nhial Deng, defence minister in the government of south Sudan says that the south is not strengthening its army to fight the north, but to maintain law and order. Asmaa El-Husseini interviews him in Juba

It is true that the security situation is a bit shaky, but the disturbances are being blown out of proportion. We have taken measures to control the situation and have a programme to collect arms from citizens in various parts of the south. The security disturbances in the south are unfortunately linked to individuals banking on the positions taken by some politicians from the south, the aim being to form illegal armies and militias.

The National Congress Party has its people in the south and is arming some of its supporters.

We are continually talking to NCP leaders and urging them to resort to dialogue and avoid anything that may lead to tensions in relations between the partners of the peace agreement, and not to attempt to destabilise any area in Sudan.

The NCP says that the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) is doing the same.

We have no connection with those who are trying to bring down the regime or the NCP, simply because we are part of the regime. We hope that the NCP would do as we do and refrain from collaborating with any groups that have no real interest in the democratic process and wish to change the situation in the south through illegitimate means.

Some south Sudanese forces have complained of the restriction of freedom in the south.

In south Sudan, there is a constitution that safeguards the freedom of political activity, which is a right for all Sudanese citizens. Anyone wishing to start a political party is allowed to do so in south Sudan, with no restrictions whatsoever. But we do not allow political parties to turn into military organisations.

Would you agree that the security situation is deterring development and investment in the south?

Certainly, the disturbances in the south curb the flow of investment from abroad. The aim [of our adversaries] is to create turmoil in order to scare investors away and portray the government of the south as being incapable of enforcing the minimum requirements of law and order.

No, it is not a big problem. A lot of work has been done already to remove them.

Recently, the LRA committed atrocities against civilians in the western equatorial areas, displacing large numbers of them. We are now trying to confront the LRA, but this is not an easy task for it uses brutal methods and targets unarmed civilians. Also, the western equatorial area is a jungle which hinders the movement of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) as it chases bands of the LRA. Still, we're doing all we can to limit its operations.

Accusations have been made that your government has fallen short of the requisites of good governance in the south. Some say that the south is now facing famine, that infrastructure is falling apart, that funds are being squandered, and that corruption is widespread.

Those who make such allegations are the same people who are trying to undermine security and stability in the south. They arm those who fight against us, then they claim that the government of the south is incapable and inept.

Do you believe that the government of the south has made tangible achievements in the past few years?

Of course, those who are familiar with how conditions used to be in the south a few years ago know that progress has been made.

There are allocations in the budget for the SPLA, which is part of the country's regular forces and enjoys international and constitutional recognition.

You are strengthening your army. Is it because you fear a future war with the north?

We are not preparing ourselves for a future war, but it is our duty to train the SPLA forces and enhance their capabilities. If the future is one of unity, the SPLA will become a cornerstone for the future army. We're not spending money on the army to prepare for war with the north, but to protect the borders of Sudan. We know that the southern borders are not exactly safe.

In the first civil war in the south, led by the Anyanya forces, church groups and Israel sympathised with the southerners. Some people think these relations continued to this day, but the late John Garang denied repeatedly having any relations with Israel. We do not need such a connection. We are a movement that sprang out of the soil of Sudan and depends on the power of its sons. If we were dependent on outsiders, we wouldn't have made it so far.

What exactly is left of the new Sudan project? That was the project for which you have once fought. Your aim used to be a united Sudan.

This project still exists. But to be realistic, the chances for its success have dwindled. This is because, since we signed the peace agreement, the NCP, our partner in government, has not given the matter the attention it deserved. We don't know what will happen in the referendum. But we would have hoped that a government of national unity would restart the national projects that used to exist in the south. The government should have proved its goodwill to the southerners. The government and the brothers in the north should have made an effort to heal the wounds and to turn a new leaf. But they haven't.

Do you believe that, if the vote is taken now, 90 per cent of the southerners would opt for secession, as some southern leaders claim?

There is no evidence for estimates such as that. We cannot talk numbers, but let me tell you that a considerable number of southerners may opt for secession under the current conditions.

No, there will be problems in either case. Should the south secede, it will remain a neighbour to the north. Normal and good relations will be needed. We cannot allow the south and north to suffer because their governments don't get along.