“As a result, given the absence of a clear political ideology, the SPLM/A remained a military movement during the conflict while its political organisation was never properly institutionalised. The SPLM, as a movement was really only used as an institutional cover for diplomatic initiatives, for mobilisation throughout Sudan and abroad, and for humanitarian assistance in the liberated areas but not as an ideological vehicle.” —From Malual Ayom Dor’s PhD Thesis, page 54.
By J. D. Garang, USA
January 13, 2018 (SSB) — This note is to correct one false notion being leveled at the original SPLM vis-a-vis the history of South Sudan, especially the casual charge that the Liberation Movement never had any developed political ideology whatsoever. But first, I have said this before and I will say it again: those historians who will be entrusted with producing South Sudanese history have their work cut out for them, for I’m afraid they might end up having a really hard time agreeing on the basic primary sources or even the best approach to writing history as it is, much less teaching our common history to schoolchildren.
Judging by the way things are now if the history of South Sudan is going to be written in the same manner in which the people ran the country aground, I’m equally afraid we are going to have a huge mess, one that could be punctuated by years of political hiccups. Because if the recent proliferation of political writings are any guide, it is safe to conclude that most historical analyses we have seen either miss the mark or are shockingly ignorant, with some that are devoid of historical contexts and/or serious, evidence-based scholarly analysis.
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PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd - South Sudan 
The Origin of the SPLM/A Revolutionary Ideology: A Response to Malual Ayom
Posted: January 13, 2018 by PaanLuel Wël Media Ltd. in Commentary, Contributing Writers, History, Junub Sudan, Opinion Articles, Opinion Writers“As a result, given the absence of a clear political ideology, the SPLM/A remained a military movement during the conflict while its political organisation was never properly institutionalised. The SPLM, as a movement was really only used as an institutional cover for diplomatic initiatives, for mobilisation throughout Sudan and abroad, and for humanitarian assistance in the liberated areas but not as an ideological vehicle.” —From Malual Ayom Dor’s PhD Thesis, page 54.
By J. D. Garang, USA
January 13, 2018 (SSB) — This note is to correct one false notion being leveled at the original SPLM vis-a-vis the history of South Sudan, especially the casual charge that the Liberation Movement never had any developed political ideology whatsoever. But first, I have said this before and I will say it again: those historians who will be entrusted with producing South Sudanese history have their work cut out for them, for I’m afraid they might end up having a really hard time agreeing on the basic primary sources or even the best approach to writing history as it is, much less teaching our common history to schoolchildren.
Judging by the way things are now if the history of South Sudan is going to be written in the same manner in which the people ran the country aground, I’m equally afraid we are going to have a huge mess, one that could be punctuated by years of political hiccups. Because if the recent proliferation of political writings are any guide, it is safe to conclude that most historical analyses we have seen either miss the mark or are shockingly ignorant, with some that are devoid of historical contexts and/or serious, evidence-based scholarly analysis.
(more…)
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