Will NIF/NCP consent UN forces deployment to Darfur?
By Roba Gibia
September 3, 2006 — Since when the NIF/NCP came to power in 1989, it has kept the entire Sudanese community in captivity, misery and poverty through its totalitarian and vicious governance. Not only that, but it has made Sudan a centrifugal force for Sudanese and a fertile soil for breeding Muslim fanatics, and the radicalism has become the main feature of the governance in Khartoum. But when you look at the various regions of Sudan whether being in south, west, east or north, you can’t imagine the hardship which people are undergoing. The government in Khartoum didn’t spare any effort to lift and raise the living standard of the people, but continues with its policy of suppression and discrimination. Now the long awaited UN Security Council Resolution on Darfur has been adopted, but requests Khartoum’s consent. But NIF/NCP rejected the resolution and called it illegal, and vowed to resist it, saying that “we have options and plans for confronting the international intervention, and we are prepared for all possibilities”. While the other Sudanese political forces welcomed the resolution with view to end the long suffering of the civilians in the region.
NIF/NCP since its ascending to power by coup has dragged Sudanese people into conflicts and hatred within itself rather than delivering them from the pit of penury. The NIF/NCP has brought nothing to Sudan, but destruction, misery and faction sedition, and now is dragging the country into an open and military confrontation with the international community. But will NIF/NCP reverse its position and consent deployment of UN forces to Darfur or she is determined to resist despite the calamitous situation in the region? As part of international community and on a humanitarian basis, I believe at the end Khartoum will accept the deployment of the UN forces to avoid further losses of life and disintegration of the country. And on the other hand, I do not think that Khartoum will ruin her globally credibility as a peace maker in south by not consenting UN force deployment in Darfur. And that was obvious, as last month during the visit of Frazer to Khartoum, Bashir rejected absolutely to meet her, and said “we will not handover our country to international forces, whether Frazer comes here or not, she might be accustomed to hearing ‘yes’ from many leaders but here she’ll get a ‘no'”. But due to the mounting pressure, Bashir reversed and met the US envoy Jendayi Frazer and this reminds us with same bizarre behavior of Khartoum with UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland in April 2006 where he was barred to visit Darfur and not welcomed in Khartoum, but due to the sharp pressure on Khartoum, he was later welcomed. And this is a clear indication that NIF/NCP at the end of the road will accept the UN forces deployment to Darfur. The words of politicians are always not considered as final, but could be reversed under any circumstances. As the deployment of UN forces to Darfur, could not be viewed as colonizing forces but its mandate and responsibility is to coordinate with Khartoum to assist and stop the human tragedy in Darfur.
The NIF/NCP has got the legitimacy responsibility toward its citizens and has to refrain from inciting and mobilizing its supporters against international community, and beating empty war drums, but cooperate fully with UN for the restoration of security and stability in Darfur. And here we have to question NIF/NCP integrity and recite, as who is responsible for committing atrocities and ethnic cleansing in south Sudan, and who is responsible for the atrocities and genocidal crimes and the current disastrous situation in Darfur? Is it international community or NIF/NCP government? The NIF/NCP slaughtered more than 2.5 million South Sudanese in the past two decades in absolute silence and far from the eyes of the media, and I believe that is exactly what Khartoum wanted to accomplish in Darfur. And that was obvious by continuous Khartoum’s blockading and restricting the media coverage in Darfur, particularly the foreign journalists. Thus, people of Darfur do not trust and have confidence in Khartoum’s army to offer them protection, as it is same army committing atrocities against them. And this is certain in South Sudan, as mistrust and lack of confidence still exists between Khartoum and south, and as we talk today the Sudan Armed Forces and security organs continues to create havoc in various parts of south Sudan.
The current scenario over the role of UN forces in Darfur has made NIF/NCP more adamant and radical in its position, and Bashir vowed to become a commander of resistance instead of being a president, if UN forces were deployed in Darfur without Sudan’s consent, and said that the UN forces in Darfur will be defeated like Hezbollah defeated Israel! The NIF/NCP rejection to UN forces was due to the trepidation that UN forces might assist in rounding up all suspected officials who committed atrocities and genocidal crimes in Darfur for trial before the ICC. And this is the main motive behind Bashir’s radical position, but not that Sudan is going to be re-colonized or that America has interest in Sudan’s oil and natural resources. This is absurd and is a clear metaphor of misleading and distorting public opinion from the actual reality. And as we talk today, NIF/NCP is the only beneficiary of Sudan’s oil to continue building its military capabilities to commit further atrocities against its opponents and civilians. And the current military offensive in Darfur by Khartoum will not solve the problem, but instead it will create more volatility and catastrophic situation in the region. It is obvious that you can’t claim patriotism and love of your household unless you have capacity to protect them but not egoism and exploitation of faith for political empowerment and sedition. Thus, I think we have to be realistic and more concerned when it comes to the suffering of our brothers and sisters, as those at the periphery of collapse and request urgent assistance are not Americans or Europeans but are Sudanese. Thus, UN and international community has got obligation towards the people of Darfur, and I don’t think that the international community will betray and abandon the people of Darfur by ducking to the threats of NIF/NCP, but has to exert and mount more pressure on Khartoum to save the people of Darfur.
* Roba Gibia is a Sudan Tribune columnist, he can be reached at [email protected]