Sudan is inviting more problems to itself
By Roba Gibia
September 6, 2008 – Any observer into Sudan’s affairs will infer that those who claim to be Sudan’s rulers are talking big which don’t reflect actually their optimum influence of political, military and economic power at the international arena. But rather they are known for their phony and iniquitous deeds against the Sudanese people in illusory manner but with absolute conceit. Thus, the so-called Sudanese leaders are best known as hypocrites “Monafikeen” and always claim to be virtuous, and this has become the main feature of the Islamic and radical Sudanese rulers at this juncture. This few rulers whom are murdering and committing atrocities with pretext of defending country from re-colonization and with absolute impunity, expected the entire international community to incentive and support their action of land scorch, ethnic cleansing and genocidal crimes but not condemnation. And that was evidential at the row over the indictment of president al-Bashir by ICC. The Khartoum Islamic government took the ICC indictment to Sudanese President as personal issue against the personality of prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, and went openly to defy and threaten the entire international community as uttered by radical NIF/NCP member and presidential adviser Nafi Ali Nafi that “We tell those who support the ICC court that this is a red line for us and this warning excludes no one in any capacity”. At the context of this warning, it has become apparent that the Sudanese leaders are terrorizing the entire countries and individuals around the globe that do not consent its handling of Darfur, and by this dreadful threat I believe Sudanese leaders are dragging country into imprecise calamity which no one will envisage its consequences, simply because Sudan is not in influential position to challenge international community whether being militarily or economically but instead Sudan is inviting more problems to itself. The presidential adviser didn’t stop there, but went as far as threatening the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon that he is playing with fire, simply because the UN Secretary General affirmed in his interview with Egyptian Al-Ahram newspaper that there should be no impunity for war crimes perpetrators in Darfur and expressed his confidence that ICC will be able to enforce its decision. Thus, I wonder, as who is actually playing with fire, Sudan or UN Secretary General and international community, and will the international community and free nations who value the human life and dignity, will duck before the Khartoum’s threats and permit themselves to be blackmailed by the Khartoum regime! I do not think so except those countries which devalue human life and continue to commit atrocities against its people without accountability like disreputable Sudan. And this is well placed in a common saying that “Alike birds, fall”.
The free, democratic and transparent nations always respect diversity views and never anticipated entire international community or individuals on the surface of this earth to consent and support its behavior blindly, except those dictatorial and oppressive regimes. Sudan expects all the countries around the globe to be hypocritical like herself, and any country or person who spells out the truth that genocide is being committed in Darfur and that there should be no impunity for those who committed crimes against humanity in Darfur, are termed fifth colonists and acting under the influence of Zionists. That is the attitude and nature of Khartoum’s vicious rulers who do not have single concern about their own people, but rather it sadisms and continues to sack the blood of its people even though they are dead. And that was obvious at the Kalma IDP camp which Khartoum used excessive force against the poor and unarmed internal displaced Darfur civilians which led to the massacre of dozens of IDPs. The scene and footage of Kalma’s victims burial was horrifying, but yet deplorably some Sudanese political forces continue to support and rally behind president al-Bashir, the butcher of Southern Sudanese and Darfur people at the expenses of their African brothers and sisters. Here we have to pause for a while and loud that it was Khartoum which forced Darfur civilians to camp in various camps including Kalma camp after destroying and burning their villages, and to depend solely on international aid. There is no country at this contemporary world and at this twenty-first century that uproots and denies existence of its people and places them under its mercy and artificial life! What had happened in south Sudan during the course of south-north war, and currently repeating itself in Darfur was and is the worst crime being committed against humanity at this century. The slaughter of IDPs in Kalma camp on August 25, 2008 proves beyond uncertainty Khartoum’s merciless brutality and terrorization of black African tribes in Sudan. Since when the Darfur crisis erupted in 2003, Khartoum has never spent a single coinage on Darfur IDPs like it was in South Sudan, but Khartoum uses marginalized Sudanese peoples’ money for donation to Palestinian Hamas and to offer expensive gifts to Egyptian football team players, while the penury marginalized Sudanese people has got nothing to eat, clean water to drink and no basic services! Thus, this is a clear indication that Khartoum is drastically replacing African tribes in Darfur with settlers from other tribes and countries, and there was no where for more than three million Darfurian civilians driven out from their land and villages to return, because their land and villages has been occupied by newcomers, Arab settlers.
When Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed between SPLM and NCP on January 9, 2005 in Nairobi, Kenya it was believed that Sudan has entered into a new era of stability, peace, freedom, self-expression and equal opportunity especially after ratification of interim national constitution by the national assembly and when president al-Bashir signed it into effect on July 9, 2005. Beside that the CPA is anticipated as model to resolve other Sudan’s crisis. But as we talk today, nothing so far has been changed in the terms of basic human rights issue or in the real sense of peace and stability, as Darfur is still bleeding, arbitrary arrest never seized and censorship on press has reached its peak and there is no free pen in Sudan except pro-NCP/NIF pens which speaks in the tongue of Khartoum regime.
The most outrageous and regrettable issue in Sudan is that, the entire political forces in the country if not all are counting on one man and have got strong believe that if that giant is not there, Sudan will be in chaotic situation and possible collapse of CPA and disintegration of the country, which is utterly absurd and can’t be justified under any circumstances. But instead I think Sudanese people have to hold President al-Bashir’s party accountable for the collapse and disintegration of the country, as since when they came to power by coup in 1989 they are not interested in peace but believed in the military solution to the Sudan’s crisis, and indeed the country has been torn apart under the leadership of these military juntas. Based on this false perception, notion, self conviction and deliberate negligent to the suffering of the Sudanese majority, some Sudanese forces decided to sacrifice the large portion of country’s population for the sake of one person, who had spearheaded the policy of ethnic cleansing and land torch in south Sudan and masterminded the genocidal crimes against the black African tribes in Darfur. At this context and in my opinion, it seems that Sudan lacks ideal leadership to change the country’s face and to restore the dignity of Sudanese people. And that is evident by relying on a single person to govern and administer the country regardless as whether he is tyrant ruler or not. Not that only but the political parties in Sudan entrusted president al-Bashir to head Darfur national conference to resolve the five year old conflict in the country. This is a clear indication that the Sudanese leaders are not serious to resolve the Darfur crisis, as you can’t adopt national reconciliation conference unless there is peace and stability in the country, and you can’t entrust a president as country’s national reconciliation conference while he is the cause of the country’s devastation and desolation.
The Sudanese people are weary of the president al-Bashir’s failed policies and empty promises, as during the course of his reign since 1989 coup and after signing CPA in January 2005, Sudan has not witnessed any drastic changes in the lives of its people except squabble, false accusations, statements and row over the run of country’s natural resources as we are seeing in Abyei, south-north border perimeters and devastating war in Darfur. That is not what Sudanese people are expecting from their leader but the true peace and stability in everyone’s life and at the every corner of the country, restoration of everyone’s dignity and gearing of country’s resources to the equitable advance and growth of the country and especially the war torn areas. The building of the country and making Sudan home to every Sudanese, requires unity of its sons and daughters regardless of their political affiliation, ethnicity, color, gender and religion but commitment and confession that Sudan belongs equally to all its inhabitants. We can’t bridge the gap of detestation and hostilities between Sudanese sons and daughters except by tolerance, just and inclusive peace, then south-south reconciliation, north-north reconciliation, Darfur-Darfur reconciliation, east-east reconciliation and consequently the overall country’s national reconciliation conference to heal the wounds, scars of the wars and prevalence of everlasting peace in the every corner of the Sudan. But rather than that there will not be stability and peace in Sudan if we continue to raise the false slogans without deeds. Since signing of the Naivasha, Abuja and Asmara peace agreements, president al-Bashir has been utterly reiterating whenever he visits south or any other part of Sudan like his recent visit to Juba on August 27, 2008 that “The peace battle is more dangerous than the war battle, because the peace puts huge responsibility at the leaders’ shoulders towards the citizens to fulfill their expectations”, and said that I have come to Juba to start a crucial and important step in the peace battle and to raise the standard of the people’s living. Yes, the peace battle is more perilous than the war battle because president al-Bashir’s party is not dedicated to the peace in the whole country. Where is the execution of the national and ambitious developmental projects as stipulated in the CPA in the war torn areas, as there is no peace without economic prosperity which will act as catalyst to make the unity of the country attractive to marginalized people of Sudan! Where is Minni Minawi who signed Abuja peace agreement and after spending almost three years in Khartoum palace as presidential advisor, he deserted luxurious palace and suspended his partnership in government after failing to influence the government’s policy and not seeing any breakthrough in the Abuja peace agreement implementation. The Sudanese people have been hearing president al-Bashir’s this statement again and again for the past four years, but so far nothing has actually changed on the real ground except misery and lamentation, while president al-Bashir’s party continues to built military capabilities, cultivate culture of war and discrimination at the midst of the Sudanese people. Thus, Sudanese people need a leader who has got profound concern to deliver the country from the poverty, misery and lamentation to the safe shore of economic prosperity and to unify the Sudanese people under one identity, which is Sudan regardless of their multi-ethnic, racial, cultural and religious diversity but not a president with myopic, discriminative and racial vision.
I believe that time has come to the Sudanese people and political parties/forces to wake up and distant themselves from bogus and dishonesty agendas for plundering country’s resources for their own advantage, but to set up an ideal plan for the country’s development, unity and restoration of Sudan’s lost reputation at the international community. The duty and responsibility of restoring Sudan’s dignity and weight at the international arena, requires pragmatic and charismatic leader but not hypocritical leaders to lead the country at this crucial stage. Thus, Sudanese political forces have to come up with clear policy and agenda of restoring Sudan’s position at the midst of regional and international affairs, and this will not happen unless through inclusive peace and sustainable economic development and agricultural projects to raise the living standards of the Sudanese people.
Roba Gibia, a Sudan Tribune journalist, is the author of John Garang and the Vision of NEW SUDAN. He can be reached at [email protected]