By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, July 14 -- At the end of a long day and a much longer process, South Sudan Vice President Riek Machar told Inner City Press that people in Darfur could take hope from his country's admission to the UN on July 14. “It can be done,” he said. “Omar al Bashir needs peace.”
Inner City Press asked Machar about the plight of Nuba peole in Southern Kordofan. “Bashir needs to abide by what was agreed in Addis,” Machar said. “If he does that, everything can work out.”
But speaking to the Security Council on July 13, US Ambassador Susan Rice said Khartoum is “wavering” on the June 28 agreement with the SPLM-North. Inner City Press asked her at the Council stakeout, “they've actually kind of totally broken it. They've said that they don't stand behind it. What's your understanding of where it stands?”
Ambassador Rice reiterated there, “the Government of Sudan did sign an agreement. And it would be most unfortunate if they formally reneged on that agreement.”
South Africa's mission to the UN, preparing celebrations for the birthday of Nelson Mandela upon whose inauguration a song “Black President” was launched, took a lead in celebrating South Sudan's joining the UN on July 14. They wondered why, for example, the people of Western Sahara have had to wait so long, and those of Palestine.
But Thursday was a good news day at the UN. Another longtime South Sudan proponent, Lumumba Stanislaus-Kaw Di-Aping, told Inner City Press that South Sudan is looking to rent space in Uganda House, next door to the US Mission.
His minister Deng Alor, out on First Avenue, invited Inner City Press to visit Juba again, for what would be the third time. Then he got into an entourage of black limousine, the last of which had Virginia license plates.
Months ago in the General Assembly lobby, Lumumba Stanislaus-Kaw Di-Aping told Inner City Press that the strategy of the SPLM was never to go for the touchdown, but in an NFL football analogy to move the ball ten yards at a time, from first down to first down. This week they scored their touchdown.
It was day for dancing, most notably by yet another longtime South Sudan proponent, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth. But while the song “Signed Sealed Delivered, I'm Yours” had one meaning in Juba, it still rang empty Thursday in Kadugli, and through South Kordofan. These struggles continue -- watch this site.
