Sudan double standard on human rights
By Steve Paterno
August 10, 2007 — It is instantly lovable to observe a headline in Sudan Tribune (Reuters, Fri, Aug 10, 2007), which reads, “Sudan Lawmakers Say Denied Access to Guantanamo.” The first thing that would come in someone’s mind after coming across such a headline is that the U.S. perhaps abandoned it’s doctrine of pursuing the terrorists and those who harbored them wherever they may be. If the U.S. still holds its doctrine, which I just checked, they still are, then one wonders why in a world the Sudanese Lawmakers would be denied access to Guantanamo Bay, the place where they rightly belong. The reason those Sudanese Lawmakers are denied access to Guantanamo Bay, according to one of them is, “the foreign ministry responded that the U.S. embassy said this is not the right time.” This is absurd, because from what we know, there is no right time for catching and detaining terrorists. After all, most of those terrorists who made the majority in the Guantanamo Bay were captured at night, moreover from different countries during combat operations. Therefore, there is nothing such as “right time” when it comes in catching and detaining terrorists, especially when the opportunity avails such as this. It would have been a great opportunity for the U.S. to have four Sudanese Lawmakers show themselves at Guantanamo Bay where they will be locked up with the rest of them terrorists. As far as the U.S. laws are concerned, Sudan prominently features as state sponsoring terrorists, making its lawmakers no less than terrorists.
Anyway, those four Sudanese Lawmakers claimed that they wanted to visit Guantanamo Bay not be locked up but to assess the conditions of the prisoners there, who among them included nine Sudanese nationals who are terrorist suspects. This is hypocrisy practiced at its lowest level. If these Sudanese Lawmakers are serious about the prison conditions, they should start right from where they are today, which is Khartoum. Khartoum has one of the worst records on human rights in the world. Most of the prisoners in Khartoum are wrongly accused under a draconian justice system. Their conditions are the worse human can get. The rule of law in Khartoum had deteriorated ever since and all that is left is travesty of justice or some people making mockery of justice by calling themselves judges in other words, Makabarat (Sudanese version for security agents). The right place for human rights to begin assessing cases of abuse would be none other than Khartoum.
Secondly, when did the lawmakers in Sudan are empowered to speak on matters related to the country? From what we know, there are no lawmakers in Sudan but a dormant body calling itself “National Assemble,” whatever that means. The last time any country had an Assembly, they were elected officials who make laws, but as far as the Sudan is concern, this is not the case. What is happening in Sudan is that the country is ruled by a military dictator by the name Omer al-Basher. All the laws in the country are solely derived from him. In case, these four lawmakers who have great interest in visiting Guantanamo Bay received the blessing of al-Basher, it then makes even more stronger case that they should be allowed to visit Guatanamo Bay and locked up as they are aiding and abetting the terrorist through the power of al-Basher. There is something out there known as international arrest warrant, bearing the names of those of al-Basher, perhaps it should be evoked to deal away with these lawmakers when they leave Sudan.
Thirdly, these four lawmakers claim that they wanted to visit Guatanamo Bay so as to assess the conditions of the nine Sudanese nationals who are apparently terrorist suspects held in Guatanamo Bay prison. Again, something is wrong with this picture, because, if the four Sudanese lawmakers really care about their nationals, they would start with the ones in Khartoum Kobar prison. Not only that, they should then move in Darfur. By the way, Darfurians are Sudanese nationals too. However, many of them, mainly innocent ones are being massacred. The urgency would have been for these lawmakers to stop the genocide in Darfur before they could start worrying about the terrorist suspects who are under good hands of the U.S. government.
Fourthly, the four Sudanese lawmakers want the U.S. to treat the Sudanese nationals who are suspected of terrorism, humanely. But the question again, when did the terrorist ever treated anybody humanely? And another question is, when did Sudan ever treated anyone humanely?
Sudan is one lucky country, which is able to successfully maneuver its way through international diplomacy and crisis despite its poor records at home. For all those years when Sudan was carryingout atrocities against the Southern Sudanese people, it actually managed to seat on the United Nations Human Rights Commission. Ironic for a country renowned for human rights abuses. They were brushing shoulders with China, Cuba, Libya and the likes in that commission. They actually created a bloc where they managed to be voted in the commission every time the round for voting came.
The catch this time around is that Guantanamo Bay could be in Cuba, but the Khartoum regime would have no chance of creating a bloc there, if they are so interested in visiting Guantanamo Bay. If they insist that they can create a bloc there as they did in the U.N. or they just want to visit, then, let them be the guest to come and visit Gitmo. The U.S. embassy in Khartoum confirmed that it never received any application yet for those who are interested to visit Guantanamo Bay. Therefore, those four lawmakers who are interested should apply. The sooner the better. We will see them at Gitmo, at the Bay Wing of the complex in cell numbers BW451, BW452, BW453, and BW454 respectively. Good luck!
* Steve Paterno is a Sudanese residing in the U.S.A., and he can be reached at [email protected]