Recognize the Sudanese way to salvage Darfur
By Mahgoub El-Tigani*
Dec 12, 2005 — For more than a year, all external efforts to end the Darfur crisis were largely frustrated or rather short of effective measures. The Sudanese national planning to resolve the crisis, however, was denied – all together – by the external powers and think tanks that emphasized a resort to international military intervention rather than a nationally-based democratic political settlement, which alone would embrace all parties concerned with the conflict.
The international and the continental powers have never given a real chance to the Sudanese political parties and civil society associations to resolve the plight of Darfur or that of the country as a whole, according to a Sudanese experienced tradition, that is to say, a national constitutional conference, a round table with a fair representation of the government and the opposition groups on politically broad and acceptable terms.
To resolve the Darfur conflict, the external support is vital; however, that support is not sufficient by or in itself, nor is it an alternative in any possible way to the Sudanese national planning and decision-making. Still, the African Union must continue its role as a protector of the unarmed people; an umbrella of the whole Continent of Africa to press on the warring groups, especially the Government of Sudan, to respect the international and national obligations of peace making and peace keeping in the region.
The UN personnel are essentially needed to carry out the international resolutions on Darfur with due respect to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. The peace-loving governments must show more commitment to the UN obligations: humanitarian organizations and relief agencies should be highly appreciated and supported for their noble mission; hence they should be encouraged and protected by the Sudanese government and the International Community as well to perform their decent roles.
A country deeply founded on nationalist sentiments and ethno-regional commitments will not make peace unless it is encouraged to act in togetherness and equalitarian grounds. This fact was clearly evident in the South-North conflict: the military action by the warring parties had never resolved the 50-years’ conflict, which in essence was a political crisis albeit filled with all sorts of militarism, including escalated tensions with border countries. Darfur and Eastern Sudan are no exception! In all cases, the central government continues to act as a convicted culprit.
The African Union (AU), therefore, should think twice before the NIF brutal regime, a worst human rights violator in the Mother Continent, would be seated as the top leader of the AU Summit. For the same reason, 40 human rights NGO rejected the upcoming Sudan’s presidency of the African Union at the most recent session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
SHRO-Cairo, among other human rights groups, has repeatedly complained to the Human Rights Committee about brutalities of the regime and the direct responsibility of the state managers, led by President Omer al-Bashir and his top military and party colleagues, of the crimes committed against humanity in Darfur. Human Rights Watch most recent report (December 2005) is a self-evident testimony by a janjaweed chief who affirmatively confirmed the same facts!
For many observers, however, it is unlikely that the AU would take a firm step to penalize the Sudan’s dictatorial rule at the AU leadership in January 2006. Moreover, the NGOs voluntary status would not be able in the present time to motivate the AU Governments to fail their own dictators!
As an alternative strategy, the United Nations, the US Government, the European Union, the African Union, the Arab League, all peace-loving nations, and the Darfur supporters all over the globe are urged to influence the AU by positive pressures to force the Sudan Government and the Sudanese opposition to convene an immediate All-Sudanese National Constitutional Conference under the auspices of the United Nations to resolve the Crisis “In a Sudanese Way.” The NGOs’ appreciative role will be effectively strengthened if it adopts this stand.
To delineate this point, it is expedient to refer to an Appeal to the World on the Human Crisis of Darfur that was issued and largely supported by a number of Sudanese and non-Sudanese activists early this year.
The Appeal was submitted to the UN Secretary General (New York), the UN Commission on Human Rights (Geneva), the African Commission on Human Rights (Banjul), the IGAD (Nairobi), the African Union (Addis Ababa), the Arab League (Cairo), the European Union (Brussels), Sudan Government (Khartoum), the National Democratic Alliance (Sudan), and a great many human rights and democracy activists. In a word, the whole world was aware of the Sudanese Solution of the Crisis:
– “The Undersigned appeal to the world, to the civil societies, the labor and trade unions, and all social forums and peoples’ democracy, peace, and human rights organizations to join this Call to stop the human suffering of the Sudanese people in Darfur, Western Sudan. We hold the government of Sudan fully responsible for the perpetration of the civilian atrocities in Darfur,” said the Appeal.
The Appeal further reads these clear agreements between international and Sudanese resolutions, of which nothing is firmly applied by the Government of Sudan:
“Aware of the tragic dimensions of the Darfur’s Crisis, which amounts to state-led genocide as it has increasingly perished the lives of thousands as well as the displacement of a million citizens seriously endangered with illness, starvation, and death, the Undersigned support the principles of international intervention for the creation of Peace Corridors in Darfur under the auspices and the ongoing monitoring of the United Nations and the African Union.
– The safety of Darfur Peace Corridors must be guaranteed by monitors from the African Union with the backing of the United Nations. The Sudan Government should be held responsible for all security matters along the Corridors. As the main responsible party, the government must be accountable before the United Nations Security Council for all breaches of security along the Peace Corridors.
– We call for the creation of safe havens, full re-instating of the victimized indigenous population into their misappropriated lands and for the simultaneous removal of recently settled government militia and their supporters from such lands. Legal, administrative, and financial compensation and humanitarian aid for these victimized people must be fully ensured before they return to their identified homes. We call for the immediate enforcement of these urgent measures with clearly defined mission and objectives.
– We hold the government responsible for the perpetration of the conflict in Darfur: the urgent tasks facing us now are to alleviate the present plight of the Darfur victims and to lay the blame for the present humanitarian crisis squarely on the Sudan government. We call on the competent authorities to apprehend and to put on trial all of the war criminals who committed heinous crimes – including killing and other bodily injury, burning of homes, crops and entire villages, looting and pillage, branding and mass rape of women and children – against the innocent civilians of Darfur.
– The Darfur war criminals, and their main accomplices, whether Janjaweed militias or government officials, must be fairly tried before an international war crimes tribunal. These trials should be independent, publicly supported, and guided by the principles of international law and customary law.
The Call ends with a strong emphasis on a solemn pledge of Sudanese self-assertiveness and competencies to solve the problem:
We believe the final resolution to end the Darfur conflict lies mainly with the Sudanese people. We have no doubt that the Sudanese will end the current dictatorial regime, and will fulfill their aspirations for democracy and the peaceful resolution of all conflicts within the Sudan’s borders. Therefore, we ask the international community to support all efforts of the Sudanese people to bring a comprehensive, lasting and just peace to that presently deeply troubled country.”
The Sudanese Call on the International Community to help resolve the humanitarian crisis of Darfur is a clear example of the consistency of the international consciousness and the Sudanese national awareness about the root causes of the crisis, the responsible parties to account for it, and the practical solutions to resolve the conflict promptly and efficiently.
Apparently, the Constitutional National Conference is the only guarantee to implement the shared agenda of the International Community and the Sudanese national democratic forces, Question is: why is it, the external powers, think tanks, writers, and other intellectuals continue to ignore the Sudan’s native wisdom to resolve its national crisis?!
*Member of Sudanese Writers’ Union (in exile) and the president of Sudan Human Rights Organization Cairo-Branch.