Nimeiri Introduces "Sharia" & Rebellion Re-emerges in the South
In
1983, President Nimeiri introduced Sharia (Islamic Law) in the entire
country-including the largely non-Muslim south. Among other things,
Sharia calls for amputation of hands of convicted thieves; stoning to
death for adultery; and flogging (in public) of people convicted of
drinking or even handling alcoholic drinks.
Sharia, compounded by other grievances, pushed the south into a civil
war. Nimeiri attempted to pre-empt the rebellion by splitting the south
into three regions, each with its own capital. The southerners revived
their rebellion under the newly-formed Sudan People's Liberation Army
(SPLA) headed by Col. John Garang a middle-aged Dinka tribesman who
holds a doctorate degree in economics. Nimeiri accused Col. Gaddafi (of
Libya) of aiding the SPLA with military training and arms.
Southerners have always viewed the Arab-speaking arbiters of power and
wealth in the north as neglecting them. In over a decade of north-south
peace, no major economic projects were accomplished in the south. And
although petroleum was recently struck in the south, the, southerners
are doubtful of getting a fair share of the resulting revenues.
The people of the south also opposed the canal-digging in the south
started by the Nimeiri regime in 1983. The canal would divert the River
Nile by bypassing the Jonglei swamps- where most of it is evaporated by
the tropical sun- and thus save about 5 million cubic metres of water.
The southerners argued that this project to scoop out the world's
longest navigable canal (350 km) would deprive the tribes of water and
also upset the region's ecological balance. By the end of 1984, the
SPLA guerrillas had halted the digging of the canal as well as
petroleum exploitation by launching sporadic attacks on the projects'
workers.
National Movements and New States in Africa