Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere

By Luke Kuth Dak

August 7, 2008 — Finally, the World has come to realize what late Dr. Martin Luther king, Jr. said from a Birmingham jail, April 16, 1963. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

The indictment filed by Mr. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the Sudan’s President, Omer al Bashir, came rather late, but nevertheless, it’s a welcoming development by families and relatives of the victims of genocide from the marginalized regions, but especially Southern Sudan and Darfur, who have waited for far too long for justice to prevail.

Although I am not a lawyer, but it is becoming increasingly clear, that the President is headed for an uncertain future. His conviction seems inevitable, considering the compellingly solid evidence, submitted against him. Now it’s more likely that the tyrant will spend the rest of his life either on the run or behind bars.

While President al Bashir may not have pulled the trigger himself, the same can be said about all of the other dictators, the like of Rudolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein and Charles Taylor- to name a few. But, as the head of state, the army and the ruling party, there is a universal belief that: al Bashir holds the ultimate responsibility for genocide in the marginalized regions of Sudan. He had all the power there was to stop the genocide in a blink of an eye. He could have also avoided the indictment with little respect, in dealing with World community. But like the rest of the dictators before him, Bashir chose the low road, and pretty much indicted oneself.

In one of his fiery speeches- which’s believed to be the center piece in the prosecutor’s case – al Bashir ordered his army and the janjaweed militiamen, to kill whomever they find and that, all captured properties are theirs to keep. “We don’t need captives, he said. We don’t need wounded either. We need all of them dead.” Now, what kind of a president that can be so low and so merciless towards the citizens of his own country? Certainly, such evil acts can only happen in a country like Sudan, where some segments of the society are treated differently than others, due to traits they have no control over, like the color of skin and the region of origin.

Quite frankly, the apartheid style regimes that have ruling and ripping it off of its wealth, for over half a century and counting, do not value the lives of the marginalized people of Sudan. With out a shadow of a doubt the Islamic extremists have lost their conscience and humanity. Otherwise, how does a man go to bed at night knowing full well, that he had just fed his children with food that he’d stolen from the dead? And how does a man hug his little daughter, with the same arms he had just used to rape another little girl- her age? Isn’t it about that time that, international community makes it certain, that these despicable acts do not go unpunished?

Consequently, it took no one by surprise that, the Islamic extremist terrorist in control of the government since 1989, would do anything and everything in their power to fight the indictment- tooth and nail, a rhetoric that will not help the win the case. Moreover, with al Basher behind bars, they are very well aware that, most- if not all of them, will most likely follow suit. Therefore, their only option is, to try harder to intimidate the prosecutor, so that he drops the charges. Big mistake! What they have failed to understand though, is that, the prosecutor- Luis Moreno-Acampo- is not Dr. Salim Ahmad Salim or Omar Kunary, whom the regime showered with bribes, from the oil-money, that the two men have gotten so rich and too fast that, they would never need another day at work to make a living, once they leave their current position with the AU. It’s also clear that, the Khartoum regime – well known for its miscalculations and time-buying tricks- might have mistaken the International criminal Court, for the African Union, which they have pocketed since its inception.

Regrettably, there are people with in the marginalized regions, who have some concerns that, the indictment against the President, will jeopardize the peace process in the country. However, if these people take a closer look at all the agreements, they will find out that, their concerns and worries are in fact unwarranted, because on the one hand, there is no peace process that’s taking place anyway. And on the other hand, the agreements are in a state of regression long before the indictment. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) is standing on one leg. The Abuja is history, and the Asmara is catching the last breath.

In addition, Northern governments are notoriously known for dishonoring agreements, to begin with. Remember what the former dictator Jaafar Numeri said in 1983, just day before he decreed the re-division of the south. “The Addis Ababa agreement was not the Bible or Quran.” The same voice can be heard again now. Just a few days ago, Dentist, Mustafa Osman Ismail issued a statement in which he said: “ If the President’s indictment moves forwards, nothing will be on the table, including the CPA.” Is President Kiir listening? I hope so.

Also, in a statement published in Sudan Tribune, on August, 5, 2008, Presidential Advisor, Dr. Nafia Ali Nafia was quoted as saying: “ President al Basher’s the most qualified man to be president of Sudan, whether people like it or not.” How ludicrous! However, Dr. Nafia has the right to love and adore the President, but it’s ridiculous for him to try to bring all of us along with him. The question that must be asked of Dr. Nafia is, how could a man with no college education, and only a modest military credentials, can possibly be the most qualified to rule the country. If so, then why are we sending our kids off for colleges? Well, in that case, I suppose we need to lock up the gates of the University of Khartoum (one of the oldest of its kind in Africa) and toss the keys into the Nile.

Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit!

From what I understand, the First Vice President, the Chairman of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLM) and President of the government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) speaks, writes, and reads the Arabic language very well, However, it seems to me as though, he and his press crew, do not pay as much attention as to what’s being printed in the National Congress Party’s affiliated media, about his leadership of the crisis committee, to combat the President’s indictment. Just yesterday, the President’s uncle and the owner of Alintibaha newspaper, Al Tayib Mustafa, just came short of calling for his assassination, for betraying the President.

As we all know, President Mayardit is, a man with a tremendous amount of work- load and responsibilities of his own. The last thing he needs is another distraction that will take away his focus, on the difficult days a head. The better questions that must be asked of President kiir are, how in the world did he decide to take a bullet for President al Bashir? And how could he accepts to be a lawyer, in a case he knows, all too well that he can not succeed in wining it? Therefore, the only way out is, to immediately resign from the so-called Crisis Committee. The National Congress Party must take the responsibility, for their self-inflicted wounds.

And finally, if the marginalized people of Sudan must survive, their only option is pull together and be as united as possible. No one knows, for certain what the future would be like, in the days and months to come.

We are on the same boat, together!

The author’s former Juba Radio anchorman, and he can be reached at: [email protected]