The West claims that the onus is now on Khartoum to cooperate, and much to the Sudanese president's chagrin, his first deputy agrees, writes Gamal Nkrumah You do not have to spend long in the company of Sudanese Vice President Salva Kiir to realise that he is a charismatic statesman. When John Garang died in a tragic air crash in 2005, everyone thought that his successor was shy and retiring. That, obviously, proved to be a major misconception. Kiir was slandered by his detractors and especially by those belittling allusions to alleged weakness of character and political naiveté. Many doubted that he would make a remarkable leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), let alone Sudanese first vice president. Kiir's courageous statements this week silenced and confounded his critics. Kiir made a widely-publicised televised interview with Al-Jazeera in which he stated categorically that Sudan must accept international peacekeeping forces. This view sharply contrasts with that of Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir. The Sudanese president wants foreign troops out. Kiir wants them inside Darfur, policing war-torn provinces. Never before has the Sudanese president be publicly challenged and contradicted by his first deputy. The reaction of members of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) of Al-Bashir was swift and caustic. "All it has done is give Sudanese officials a sense of confusion and dejection," a Sudanese diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity told Al-Ahram Weekly. The Sudanese government of national unity is supposed to be a coalition of the NCP and the SPLA. But the coalition now appears to be nothing less than a thinly-veiled charade. Sadly, this comic drama comes at a time when the Sudanese economy is booming. Indeed, local boosters now hope that high-rise apartment blocks, skyscrapers and plush tourist resorts will bring life and money to the Sudanese capital. The fortune of the southern Sudanese people had now turned. Not so long ago, they had lost their erstwhile leader and were embroiled in civil war. Today, they have a strong autonomous government -- albeit one facing gargantuan problems. Tribal and ethnic conflicts are still simmering, but matters appear to be under control. Politically more and more southern Sudanese are being galvanised by the strength of character of Kiir -- and he is fast becoming a Sudanese leader by his own right, and not the colourless successor of yesteryear. Like Garang before him, when Kiir speaks his rhetoric is that of a revolutionary activist and his allusions those of a traditional African savant. His predecessor spoke for all oppressed Sudanese -- northern and southern, eastern and western. And, Kiir now speaks not only on behalf of southerners, but out of concern for the people of Darfur as well. This is a most significant signal. It gives the lie to those who once said that Kiir is destined to turn southern Sudan into a breakaway state. The fact that Kiir has now expressed concern for the fast deteriorating humanitarian and security situation in Sudan's westernmost province of Darfur means that he stands for the unification of the country and that he is not in the least interested in secession. He wants Sudan to remain united as one nation, but he wants a democratic Sudan and it seems that, unlike his predecessor, he is not afraid of being too closely associated with the United States. He was feted in Washington as a visiting head of state and given the red carpet treatment at a time when other Sudanese officials, who are politically affiliated with the ruling NCP, are treated with utter contempt in Washington. They are ostracised as pariahs. They are in a curious state of exhausted exultation at the moment. They anticipate a better future and their hopes are pinned on Kiir. He, in turn, has faith in his people. His positive attitude was further strengthened when he began to take a leading role in the running of the affairs of the Sudanese state -- north and south. He speaks more confidently, more knowingly. He listens gravely, and speaks in measured tones. This week marks a turning point in the public persona of Kiir. He is extremely diligent, he is a changed man. How this will impact his working relationship with the Sudanese president remains to be seen. The chemistry between Al-Bashir and Garang was decidedly bad. At first, it seemed that the Sudanese president got on better with Garang's successor than with Garang himself. The transfer of power was in any event a critical moment for Kiir, and Al-Bashir lent him a helping hand. The southern Sudanese peoples' attitude to their northern compatriots are full of paradoxes. Although many southerners aspire to be fully accepted by the northerners, anti-northern attitudes have been hardening. These controversial and often contradictory southern sentiments towards northerners are often reflected in the relationship between northern and southern leadership. At the moment, northern leaders are incensed about Kiir's comments. They believe that he is being used by Washington to undermine Khartoum's position. Be that as it may, Kiir will do precious little to dispel Washington's reputation for meddling. Kiir has emerged as the Godzilla of certain circles within the political establishment in Khartoum. Another dreaded ogre, as far as the NCP is concerned, paid a visit to Khartoum this week. He is none other than US Envoy to Sudan Andrew Nastios. He met with President Bashir yesterday and urged the Sudanese to implement "true democracy" in light of the US State Department's 2006 human rights report which described Darfur as the "most sobering reality of all". The report accused the Sudanese authorities of systematic torture, mass rape and the butchering of civilians. America's closest allies also support Washington's trenchant position vis-à-vis the Sudanese authorities. The British and French ambassadors to the United Nations Emyr Jones Parry and Jean-Marc de la Sablière, respectively, condemned Khartoum for committing atrocities in Darfur. Both countries are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. Western criticism of Khartoum also coincides with the open accusation by International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo of the Sudanese government which has delayed the trial of three suspected gross human rights violators. The international outlook regarding Sudan is fast changing and Kiir knows it.
