I was recently what I think of this BAYVIEW article by Nisrin Elamin which also appeared in Toward Freedom and Foreign Poliocy in Focus (whose editors / publisher I have copied here):

http://sfbayview.com/2011/sudan-the-price-of-separation/

In contrast to what I wrote yesterday (see below at ***** ) for this Brazilian newspaper who asked me questions about Sudan (below at *****):

This is trite propaganda with just enough truth behind it to make it convincing. Why do you suppose it appears on ALLAFFRICA.com -- which is basically run by State department interests (that exclude any real truth and publish anything that, for example, Paul Kagame says)?

It is one sided, it fails to provide proper context or history, it does not address western involvement in perpetrating and fomenting one of Africa's nastiest 22 year (sic) wars in all its history. It is soundbite feel good mush.

There is no mention of the US covert operations, or of NED in electioneering (so-called soft intervention) and stealth capitalism. It portrays the northern regime (who has been under siege by and from the US/UK/EU and Israel) as the sole problem in the region. There is no discussion of supra national allegiances or alliances or hostilities such as:

[1] the cross border problems in the South Sudan states (Jonglei & Upper Nile) triangle border region with Gambella Ethiopia (where the Anuak and Dinka have deep ties and mutual problems);
[2] the struggle of the Eritrean peoples against Ethiopia (one of the Pentagons nastiest client regimes) supported by Khartoum;
[3] The Palestinian struggle (backed by Bashir) or Israeli influence in Sudan (shipping in weapons, for example);
[4] The National Endowment for Democracy and all its forms of intelligence gathering, subversion of democracy, propganda, vote buying etc.
[5] The western propaganda apparatus out of the SAVE DARFUR movemnet of which this woman seems to be a part
[6] Western oil companies involvement in Sudan;
[7] Such bizarre but not accidental nightmares as Reverend (sic) MAchine Gun Preacher Sam Childers (http://www.machinegunpreacher.org/) and who his alliaes and backers are;
[8] etc

etc etc etc

The last paragraph is the only one that has any radical meaning but given its context it is rendered meaningless:

"We cannot, however, rely on outsiders with a variety of agendas and motives to challenge these policies for us. It must come from within, with the support and solidarity of those who respect Sudanese sovereignty and have the best interest of all Sudanese people at heart."

In short it is imperialist rhetoric, though produced with good intentions (sic), and it fits perfectly in the standard rubric of western propaganda on Sudan. Of course, Toward Freedom and FPIF have also been peddling the western propaganda line(s) on Rwanda and genocide.

*****

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: keith harmon snow
Date: Sun, Jan 16, 2011 at 5:39 PM
Subject: SUDAN interview for brazilian newspaper
To:

>>>>>>>>>What are the interests behind the referendum in southern Sudan?

The US and its allies -- especially Israel and UK -- already de facto control the independent territory South Sudan. So this is basically a US protectorate. The South's separation and isolation from the north was achieved through the covert war sponsored by the US/UK and Israel from circa 1991 to 2003. Of course, the war in the South merely shifted to Darfur in 2003. But from 1991 to 2003 -- and to the present -- the US has backed, armed, trained, and supplied the Sudan People's Liberation Army (and then the Sudan Liberation Army, which is the Darfur wing of the SPLA) through one of our leading terrorist "governments" in Africa -- Uganda.

The Referendum would formalize and legalize the issue of "independence" -- leading to all kinds of political advantages and/or leverage for the US and its allies. The US block has covert operatives in South Sudan and large military involvement. We have private military companies -- mercenary firms -- in South Sudan (Dyncorp -- http://www.privateforces.com/content/category/1/85/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=990) under the cover story that they are training SS's police. Other mercenary firms (Lockheed Martic subsidiary Pacifdic Architects and Engineers, ArmorGroup out of England, etc) support the so-called "peacekeeping" forces of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), and still otheres provide logistics (military) for the so called "relief" organizations. These are all forms of militarizing South Sudan to serve the prerogatives of Washinton, Tel Aviv, London and Brussels. Dyncorp and PAE had contracts worth more than $20 milion at one point, just to "support the African Union" (sic) -- another western military element in teh war for Sudan.

The referendum will help formalize separation from the Muslim north and the Bashir government, which the US does not like.

>>>>>>>How have the Western powers have been behaving about it? What are their concerns and interests about the subject?

The western powers want Bashir out. That's a major objective, since Bashir is an Arab and has asserted his indepedance. Of course, if Bashir was cooperative we wouldn't care. But he's problematic.

Why does the US not like Bashir?

[1] He fought in the Yom Kippur war, with Egypt, against Israel;
[2] He has always supported the Palestinians;
[3] He sided with China to exploit the oil in the north and center;
[4] He's maintains an indepednet financial system out side the World Bank, IMF, US monetary system;
[5] He keeps contriol of the sugar industry in Sudan outside the US sugar industry;
[6] He is friendly with Eritrea;
[7] He is Arab and Moslem and the south is Christian.

Oil, gold, uranium, gum arabic (essential for Coca Cola, Pepsi and {Unilever products like} Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream), large swaths of the most fertile land in the world, and sugar, are some of the main commodities that the US/UK/Israeli block seeks to control. Darfur is one vast oil field/concession (see the map on my web site) and is also home to 2/3rds of world supply of gum arabic and the best quality gum arabic in the world.

Militarily, the control of South Sudan, Darfur and North Sudan are all separate but intertwined issues. Sudan is a problem area between Chad, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Eritrea. The US already has major AFRICOM and intelligence presence in each of these other countries except Eritrea, and especially in Ethiopia and Uganda and Kenya, where billions of dollars have been converted from "aid" to weaponry. Sudan provides a convenient territory from which to oversee military and economic (plunder) objectives in the Middle East. With Bashir in there we dont have the access we'd like. Sudan also has some ties to arab factions in Somalia, along with Eritrea, which the US/UK/Israel/Kenya/Uganda/Ethiopia are fighting against.

Basically, this is another "demonstration" election. It is highly manipulated by the outside powers, involving billions of dollars in USAID, DFID, US State department and other western "AID" and "development" funds earmarked for "electioneering". So there's massive wesetrn meddling in these elections.

>>>>>>>Does really the U.S. support the separatist groups in the South? Why?

Answered above. We are supporting numefous military and political groups, and we have a massive AID system that has been used to further political and cultural and economic objectives,. For example, the years of Christain AID "charities" shipping everything from Bibles to AK-47s into South Sudan through the multibillion dollars a year Operation Lifeline Sudan. SVAE DARFUR and URGENCE DARFUR -- US and French entities -- have backed the so called REBEL factions in Darfur, the Justice & Equality Movement and Sudan Liberation Army.

NED, the IRI, NDI etc are all over both North and South Sudan (http://www.ned.org/where-we-work/africa/sudan). This is covert stealth capitalism and control and it will NOT benefit the people in the long run. Its how we buy out what we need, in parallel with how we shoot out what we want. NED played a huge role in the electioneering: they always do. These NED funded institutions are established to BUY OUT the people and co-opt any true movements for true independence. All of them are basically intelligence and propaganda fronts.

>>>>>>>>What are the challenges that Southern Sudanese will have to face after the separation?

The people of South Sudan are pawns in a great game in which we are the puppeteers. The people of SS wil have to face the same kinds of problems that African, Asian, Latin American people have to face everywhere: Capitalism. This is already happening. Capitalism is based on private profit. What we will see are increasing land grabs, multinational controls, taxes favorable to corp[orations, AID and RELIEF (the misery industry) will continue to prey on people's suffering. Sure, a few schools and churches and other infrastructures will pop up here and there but only superficially, with superficial caring, and especially when it serves some large corporate interests. Which also means: Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya, especially, will benefit from certain developments in the "independence" of South Sudan. The people will habve to face starvation, lack of potable water, pollution by corporations, and agribusiness theft. They will also have to suffer under the deprivations caused by the SPLA and other militarized factions, who have been brutal to the people of the south, and are also responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

>>>>>>How should be the behavior of Khartoum after the separation?

I dont understand your question. If you are asking: what can we expect to see from Khartoum... I imagine the US and Khartoum will continue to secretly duke it out in all kinds of ways. Otherwise, I'm not prepared to speculate on this question.

>>>>>>>Who would be the members of the new government of South Sudan and what are their profiles?

Thats a question to be answered by time. Also, perhaps better answered by someone else at present. We can be assured they will be pliable allies of the US and NED and etc. Probably all friends of Roger Winter -- the US Committee for Refugees and USAID official and freind of Susan Rice who is responsible for organizing the covert genoicide and war in Rwanda, South Sudan and in Darfur.

>>>>>>>How do you see the issue of Abyei region?

Abyei is a border zone between north and south and a flashpoint. What is happening there is a theft of lands. People on both sides are scared that they will lose control and lose power and lose land. Its really a mirror for much of the rest of the country. Violence is/has been/will be created / fomented by operatives and provocateurs working secretly who generate violence that can be blamed on teh opposing government/faction. But this is nothing new.

>>>>>>>>The new country is very poor and its infrastructure is fragile. Do you think there is a danger that foreign governments and transnational corporations would take advantage of this situation to build the infrastructure of the new country and take its oil?

Its already started. Its long in the making. All the groundwork has been laid, and many corporations and private (thieves) developers are already there. But there will, of course, be a huge increase in multinational penetration as South Sudan's non-oil resources are further targetd and more and more contracts are let for "infrastructure" that will service US / UK / Israeli /multinational interests.

>>>>>>>>Some people say that the referendum on Sudan could encourage other separatist tendencies on the continent. What do you think about that?

I'd have to address each case on a case by case basis. Clearly, separatist movements BY and FOR the people are something that I might favor-- and that everyone should favor. Say, the Ndebele people seeking independence in Zimbabwe or the San Bushman seeking autonomy and control of the lands they are being excluded from (diamonds, oil). Or the Ogoni, Itsekeri and Ijaw peoples, for another example, seeking independence from the centralized racist pro-corporate pro-western government of Nigeria. Thats probably a good thing. These borders were created by the west and for the west. Maybe they should be broken down. However, having western military create , foment and control these successions is devastating to Africa and its people.

>>>>>>>How do you see the Darfur issue in this context?

Darfur is the same story in a slightly different context. Its about resource grabs and when the so called PEACE ACCORDS were being developed for South Sudan the West needed to shift its foci of attack and Darfur became that point of foci. As I said, Darfur is one vast oil field, but UNDP, USAID, DFID, etc all have massive interest in making sure that big western multinationals control the fertile lands for gum arabic, sugar, ethanol and what ever else WE want to make our profits on.

There will be plenty of additional propaganda (lies, deceptions, stereotypes, distortions and disinformation) generated by people like Dr. Eric Reeves (Smith college state department propagandist) and Gerard Prunier (Urgence Darfur), by John Prendergast and Alex de Waal and George Clooney. These are the west's primary disinformation operatives on Sudan.