Unfortunate Mexican statement on ICC move against Sudanese President

By Isaiah Abraham

November 23, 2008 — The Mexican Ambassador to the Netherlands last week made an uncharacteristic if not irresponsible statement about the International Criminal Court (ICC) indictment of Sudanese President Field Marshal Omar Hassan Ahmed Al Bashir. He had categorically used the same line of wording or intimidation such as that of the United States of America (USA) on the begging need to defer the ICC case against the Sudanese President. The Ambassador Mr. Jorge Lomanaco Tonda has bragged about Mexican vote in the Security Council against President Al Bashir.

This clearly exposes that great nation non-stable foreign and diplomatic influence in the world. This is so because the Mexican Government was then seen as objective when it stood against the invasion of Iraq by the USA in 2003. But somewhere, the country tipped towards blind allegiance to the USA even if that is against convention wisdom of restrain and sobriety. The sponsors of the ICC are making another world grave mistake against the people of the Sudan through its President. Mexico is playing it cheap this time. Mexican Government was expected to show leadership. Why Mr. Ambassador do you want to stoke embers in the Sudan? We had enough of this stuff; don’t you care about innocent lives here in this country?

Mr. Ambassador, we know your ties with the USA but we the people of the Sudan (Southern Sudan for that matter) are tired of blackmailing and this is our hour of need. People of the Sudan want peace more than any other thing at the moment; accountability and justice must wait! We will say it again and again. Your statement that the ICC is ‘independent, mandate of putting an end to impunity’ is clouded with suspicion because of your conflict of interest. Who do you want to teach about the ICC body independence and roles? Calling ICC ‘independent’ is a poor display of realities. That word is misplaced.

Your position doesn’t bring out what the people of the Sudan, particularly Southern Sudan expect of your clear cut foreign policy. You know better than anyone that the sponsor of this project acts with impunity in another part of the world. What forces you this time about to give in so easily? Your issues with the USA or USA issues with you such as border security, narcotic trafficking, bourgeoning trade, immigration and so on, that have put you closer to the USA can’t blind folded you about the impacts of Luis Moreno Ocampo careless move against the Sudanese.

Where is justice and balance in Luis’ argument, when he relies on one side and demeans the other? Anyone might want to put blame on the government of the Sudan and Al Bashir in particular, but sometime it’s incumbent upon everyone to find out the truth in its naked form from different sources before jumping to conclusion. Please Mr. Ambassador acts independently and responsibly and keeps off Sudanese affairs; they are intractable and complex. The United Nations position in the Sudan and the African Unions among others aren’t stupid; they know why its importance to give peace a chance other than justice for the sake of it, even confrontational justice. The argument all along has been that: the ICC miscalculated decision is putting cart in front of the horse. It sounds simple but that is where the truth is. The man is going unprofessional if not crazy to accept so called 700 pages evidences bloggers and lobbyists for case against the Sudanese President; Argentine, take your man to the hospital for mental check

But also: is Al Bashir a big deal for Darfur or the support for the poorly equipped UN-African Union force? The West was to provide logistical support and leave the rest to the Africans to man Darfur? Did the West honor its pledges in Darfur and if not why? What do the West really want done in Darfur by the government of the Sudan? The Sudanese Government isn’t being trusted by the West to protect Darfuris and the West is also failing to do it on its behalf, yet the blame and condemnation goes to the wire against the government for failure to protect lives, isn’t this hypocrisy? This is just bullying! The Sudan currently is slowly but surely moving a step forward and the Mexico Government must not ignore this progress.

But why would anyone want to just issued an arrest warrant and still leaves someone on the throne, what difference will it make? What also if he commits ‘suicide’? By the way, is the Darfur’s issue the only problem the country Sudan has at the moment? How about Southern Sudan, the East, the Funj and the Nuba Mountain? What guarantees do we have in place to protect lives, operations, logistics, unity/separation cases incase things go awry through ICC senseless move? Where will the National Congress Party get enough time to spare other peace partners while engage in hostility with others in the country? Note carefully, the government of Sudan currently has prepared itself for the worst scenarios. They might not throw out Peace keeping forces directly but they will throw them out indirectly, do you get this? They might attend Darfur peace negotiations but the negotiations would produce none of the results badly needed right now by the Darfuris. Think of any sabotage in the book, the NCP would use it against Western interests and in turn this could affect everyone. Aren’t these not enough to delay the ICC case?

War is contagious and dangerous; it affects all pillars of stability be it the economy or political (democracy). Khartoum doesn’t mind going back to war; may be they have started preparing for it (Mig 29s?). Within that chaos, what if non signatory to the agreement between the South and Khartoum and between Khartoum with the East, Funj and Nuba Mountain, seize this opportunity and put off the constitution and other arrangement done among these groups through coup de tat? These are hard question Mr. Ambassador. We are afraid, very afraid of your position about the Sudanese President on ICC. It’s not just about impunity but about impacts of making a rush judgment when the country has just emerged from war.

The CPA sir Southerners cherish today didn’t just come out of the blue, it was from a responsible leadership of the NCP and Al Bashir in person who made it happened. Someone might want to say that the West solely cowed Khartoum to accept the peace agreement (CPA). That wasn’t the case. Pressure alone couldn’t have made it; had it not the ‘willing seller’ (President Al Bashir). We Southerners aren’t political prostitutes; we are sick to the bone about the so called the international community double standards.

Where is Dr. Garang Mr. Ambassador, how did he die? People are yet to figure out what went wrong. It might not necessarily be Westerners who killed him but questions abounds there! It’s documented that there were three Westerners with Dr. Garang that fateful evening in Uganda; who invited them to a private meeting between Garang and President Museveni? Why was that meeting kept outside world cameras in a village? If Southern leaders didn’t rally quickly and move on, where would Southern Sudan be today? Furthermore, where did the 2005 Oslo money that was pledged for reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Sudan go? But also right now in Darfur, non one even knows the West plans about the Darfuris in camps apart from relief supplies. That is that about you Mr. Ambassador.

For the SPLM, they must show leadership and never serve two masters. I have two kinds of SPLMs as to Darfur issue. The first group operates outside the Presidency commanded by New Sudan Visionists. They have been misled that Darfuris will give them 4 million votes during next year general elections. Interestingly, they have short memory: was it not the same Darfuris who attempted to take Khartoum in February this year, using force in an attempt to install Dr. Al Turabi who daily curses the CPA by giving it a new name (a bad one)? They are operating behind the back of His Excellency the President (Salva Kiir). Their problem is power in Khartoum. They have been very vocal even in Nyakuron during Southerners Parties Communiqué even to include an odd clause namely “cooperation with the ICC’. My feet!!

The second group is where the President belongs (those who see impact in the indictment of Al Bashir); and these men/women are real! The power of wisdom and love is stronger than the mobs of evil who are currently the majority baying for Al Bashir blood. Killing or eliminating Al Bashir will not bring stability to the Sudan or make it a safe haven. Tit for tat doesn’t pay a penny. But reforming Sudanese systems of governance in an evolutionary pace would bring out that missing link. The CPA (as a process) is all that is needed to fix this country; elimination of this document should have been the concern of every right thinker. The past must be rectified through dialogue and reason not through revenge and retribution or violence. Every ruler in the Sudan has committed crimes against humanity in one way or the other; the CPA deliberately overlooked those dark pages, aware of their consequences among Sudanese communities.

On the first group, I have not been either persuaded by their argument that the CPA won’t be affected since it wasn’t affected when Garang dies. Who was Garang after he successfully negotiated the agreement? He was just a mere receiver/taker. The same group also thought it’s just easy to have the American marines across South-North border when the South goes unilateral. It doesn’t work like; the much hyped American incoming President might not even know whether the CPA is dishonored or not. Others are even thinking that if the arrest warrant is issued, the National Congress Party (NCP) would either collapse or it will nominate its candidate to replace Al Bashir and the ‘life will go on’. Few more others yet are banking on the international community to bear pressure on Khartoum to allow Al Bashir safe travel to The Hague and forces NCP ‘orphans’ to implement all agreements it has signed with the South, the East and the West. Again that is another fallacy.

These people among other defenders of the ICC are just pretenders only splashing ignorance anywhere. Who mesmerizes them that Al Bashir will go to The Hague with his hands down? Who says that the NCP will fill up another candidate over an open grave for Al Bashir? Who again lies that the Chinese and the Russians would abandon Sudanese government against the Western aggression? Who promises the South would be an island in the sea of turmoil? Get serious, we won’t be spared in one way or the other. That is an inescapable truth.

But also did I have to sacrifice for painful 21 years fighting for my rights, only to throw it away in the name of solidarity with Darfur? My arrangement with the North under the CPA- albeit with shortcomings- is in no doubt on track! I don’t moreover believe that Darfur cares so much about Southern Sudan all along. Southern Sudan has lost thousands of lives in the hands of Darfuris and the history is our witness. Please President (Kiir), be strong and never waver, these people (Darfuris or backers) won’t be there to lift a figure when things get out of hands. Stop making short cuts and be focus for the sake of Southern Sudan; Southern Sudan case is too huge to get swept aside by an international interest. Not acceptable while we are still with breaths. It’s time to roar and rail! God left you there for a purpose and you got to stand up for our cause. I beg you sir.

JEM/SLM and the West have an agenda contrary to what was agreed between the North and the South. They are keeping it secret and our people must not be ‘squeezed’. Get back Mr. President to your seat in Khartoum and stand with Al Bashir; he is serious and others aren’t. Tough times call for tough actions. Be ever proactive and stern, its gonna be well. Get your acts together and stand with the wishes of the people of the Southern Sudan, Nuba Mountains and Funj. There are some issues that are left to juniors to opinionate but the hot ones require your show of direction. Your Excellency usual habit of hiding behind others doesn’t count here: you got to tell off individuals and stooges within your party that there is time for everything; one thing at a time. You can’t leave Al Bashir and his party to fight the West alone without your support as partners in the government, it is too bad! Darfur is a thorn and a distraction; its aim is to torpedoed gains achieved thus far through the CPA. Southern Sudan will win (inshallah)!!

The author is based in Juba; he is reachable at [email protected]