متى ستنتقل الحركه الشعبيه (للعمل السياسي) بدلا عن العنف العسكري وثقافة الغابه!

Quote: Mrs Sabina Kolong Paul in Juba Teaching Hospital While the de facto Foreign Minister of the European Union, Mrs Catherine Ashton is heralding these elections as "largely peaceful" there are more and more stories coming to me of local intimidation and harrassment of independent and smaller party candidates. For example, I went to Juba Teaching Hospital to visit a 66 year old grandmother and school teacher who had been badly beaten. Mrs Sabina Kolong Paul who was running for the United Democratic Front (UDF) in Constituency Twelve in Terekeka, Southern Sudan, described to me how she was beaten by unidentified armed men who she believed were the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). The incident took place in Tali Payam, Terekeka County of Central Equatoria State on the eve of the elections and the bruises in the picture above tell the story better than my words. This beating indicates a worrying rise of intimidation and fear the ruling parties in Sudan are waging, in fear of their political monopoly being threatened. This beating indicates a worrying rise of intimidation and fear the ruling parties in Sudan are waging, in fear of their political monopoly being threatened. Mrs Kolong Paul described to me how she was picked up at 9 o'clock in the evening with two other UDF members, Albino and Moses and they were taken to the military baracks. “I was beaten thoroughly together with Albino and Moses and we were rescued by a commander only known as Siko who ordered for our immediate release”. Mrs Kolong Paul, a school teacher at Sent Kizito Basic School, vowed never to surrender: “Women, we will never give up” she said. “Instead of 25%, we shall have 50% representation of women in all government. We were the ones who struggled for it and faced all sorts of life’s challenges”. She described to me how the armed men who beat her took her phones, documents and school identification cards, all yet to be returned. I asked Mrs Kolong Paul why she believed they were SPLA soldiers that committed this crime and she said that she could tell from the uniforms they were wearing and also that they had access to the military baracks where she was taken to be beaten. Sadly, this is not a one off case of violent intimidation. A couple of days ago, nine people, said to be NCP supporters in the South, escaped death narrowly when their car overturned. Zachariah Suti and Joseph Lino both described to me from their beds in Juba Teaching Hospital how armed men, they believed also to be SPLA soldiers, beat them and took their possessions, acusing them of taking money from the NCP to buy their possessions. Following this incident, they managed to escape by car only to be forced off the road, when the car overturned and threatened their lives. Suti and Lino said that the armed men then further went to Abraham Ali who is the contesting member for the NCP in the area and robbed him of all his possessions and money. In another incident in Tali, outside of Juba, Mr Adam Fudo, running as NCP candidate there, said he was forced to escape from his home town to Juba due to constant intimidation. His agents and family members were reportedly beaten and tied with cloths on the eyes. He described the situation in Tali as "war" with families and clans turning against each other in the name of politics. Also, Mr Taban Michael, the independent candidate running in Tali, experienced similar intimidation. The SPLM said it stands for all and not only for its supporters. Let their actions now speak louder than their words. He described how in Kali many people have not been able to vote in the last few days, because they have had to flee their homes. Mr Taban said: "We put down our weapons, because we believed in democracy. But now what, when we face such intimidation from our leaders?" Both men call upon the Government of Southern Sudan to reconcile people in the area because the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) said it stands for all and not only for its supporters. Let their actions now speak louder than their words. If you have any further information about any of these beatings or intimidations please write to SudanVotes below. Your correspondence will remain totally confidential unless you request otherwise. The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the positions or opinions of the publishers of www.sudanvotes. com -- " The South has no intention of separating from the North, for had that been the case nothing on earth would have prevented the demand for separation. The South will at any moment separate from the North if and when the North so decides, directly or indirectly, through political, social and economic subjection of the South" Rev. Fr. Saturnino Lohure on the 2nd Sudan parliament (1958).