Why do the Darfuris dismiss Arab intervention?

By Mahmoud A. Suleiman

November 27, 2008 — People of Sudan in Darfur say to the Arab League: It is (Too little, too late, don’t add insult to injury, enough is enough)! It’s almost six years since the crisis in the Darfur Region took place. As stated by Nadim Hasbani, the Arab Media Officer of the International Crisis Group in Al-Hayat (Writing in relation to Darfur) on March 22, 2007 “The Arab League has expressed concerns over the violence in Darfur, but, like individual Arab member states and their rulers, it has failed to support international efforts to protect the Sudanese citizens of Darfur. Their inaction in the face of mass killings edged closer and closer to complicity every day. The Arab League remained steadfast in its unreserved Support of the position of the National Congress Party (NCP) Government of Sudan (GoS)”.

Political analysts assert that the Arab League is not a stranger for its attitudes of lack of concern about the hardship and the suffering endured by the people of its member states and this is not new to the Arab political morality these days especially when it relates to breaches of human rights issues. Similar stance has been taken by the Arab League following the recent military coup d’état against the democratically elected government in Mauritania. while most international bodies, including the African Union (AU), expressed their reservations about accepting the fait accompli imposed by the military junta, which it wants to be there, the Arab League initiated a number of actions which constituted an implicit recognition of the coup, letting down the people of Mauritania.

It seems that the six-year atrocious crisis in Darfur did not touch the conscience of the Arab governments until a member of Sudanese leadership has become on the brink of falling into the hands of the international justice for war crimes. The Arab League in its endeavors to unreservedly support the National Congress Party (NCP) government of Sudan (GoS) in Khartoum took plethora of steps all of which are detrimental to the just cause of the people of Sudan in Darfur and have worsened the plight they’re in. Arab countries unashamedly supported the Government of Sudan’s (GoS) rejection of UN peacekeeping force for Darfur, justifying their position by repeating, like Khartoum, that a UN force in Darfur represents a threat to the Sudanese sovereignty. The Arab League also devised a plan containing a series of measures to help Sudan avoid its president Field Marshal Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir’s indictment by the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Luis Moreno-Ocampo in July 2008 on charges of masterminding a campaign of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, which included conducting internal trials for Darfur war crimes suspects. The Arab League and the African Union (AU) have asked the United Nations (UN) to defer the ICC move by using Article 16 of the Rome Statute which is a provision of the ICC that gives the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) an option “to put prosecutions on hold for one year renewable”. The Arab League has consistently counseled international patience in dealing with Khartoum, despite more than 300, 000 civilian deaths and 2.7 million in Darfur were forced to flee their homes to live in IDPs and Refugee Camps as a result of the Sudanese government’s military strategy of targeting of the civilian population. The Arab League elements also have been orchestrating what the NCP propaganda machine in Khartoum trumpeting that the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest proceedings against Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir “would lead to anarchy and would undermine stability throughout Africa.”!

Moreover, the Egyptian minister who is an international law expert, has previously said in August that Khartoum is not bound by the ICC since it is not a member of the court and emphasized that al-Bashir, enjoys immunity as a head of state. Shihab’s remarks come days after the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak paid a surprise and brief visit to Khartoum where he held private talks with al-Bashir believed to have mainly focused on the difficult task facing the National Islamic Front (NIF) regime in Khartoum that was once implicated in an assassination attempt on him, in Ethiopia (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, June 25, 1995). The Japanese saying: “Yesterday’s Enemy is Today’s Friend” has been proved true! Furthermore, Cairo backed the Arab League resolution which described the position of the ICC Chief Prosecutor as “unbalanced”. The 22 foreign ministers of the Arab League member countries decided in a resolution they adopted to show “solidarity with the Republic of Sudan in the face of any schemes aimed at undermining its sovereignty, unity and stability and not to accept the unbalanced position of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court at the request contained in a case submitted to the ICC (pre-trial Chamber)”. The Arab minister further said they adopt this position to emphasis on their rejection of any “’attempts to politicise the principles of International justice or to use it to erode State sovereignty, unity, security and stability as a national symbol”. What is more, the Arab league has labeled the Darfur rebel group Justice and Equality movement (JEM) as a terrorist organisation in the aftermath of the surprised attack on the twin town of Omdurman on May 10th 2008 under the code named Operation Long Arm (OLA). Arab League Secretary-General Amru Moussa shuttled from Cairo to Khartoum to support the beleaguered NCP president Omar al-Bashir on all his evil steps against the people of Sudan in Darfur.

It is no wonder that the same Arab League in 1990s of the last Century when at their important high-profile meeting the Arab Ministers of Interior and Information, produced important documents in the field of human rights abuse such as the Arab Convention for the Suppression of Terrorism, and the Arab Charter of Human Rights, though weak and dodgy, the majority of the Arab governments refrained from signing and let alone implementing. They say empty hands have nothings to give and a blind eye produce no tears!

President Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir in trying to fend off the possible genocide charges by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague over atrocities in Darfur, he set up the so-called Sudan People’s Initiative Forum over Darfur and declared a unilateral and immediate unconditional ceasefire in Darfur, including a call for the disarming of militias in the region, a move rejected by antigovernment rebel groups and dismissed it as a propaganda stunt. Many observers saw also the new body as part of a diplomatic push to deflect prosecutor’s move and to show Sudan could find its own solution to the conflict. The observers and the rebel groups were proved to be right in that government Antonov planes bombed for several hours near a main road between Kurbiya and Um Maraheek in north Darfur according to rebel and UN sources. Furthermore, army air force helicopter and Antonov gunship took part in the attack against rebel group Justice and Equality (JEM) forces in Sasa area, Tyraheego village which is about 15 km south of Tina, credible sources reported. President al-basher violated the ceasefire he declared unilaterally during his high profile conference within the same week, as predicted. In the circumstances, many analysts cast doubt whether the recommendations pledged by the Sudan People’s Forum initiative for Darfur, which was boycotted by rebel groups fighting the government, are expected to lay a foundation for a possible peace conference in Qatar by end of 2008.

The refusal of the people of Sudan in Darfur for the intervention of the League of Arab States in their just cause at this point of time is based on the League’s shameful position that supports the National Congress Party (NCP) regime to practice ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity and genocide freely and in impunity. However, it has been reported that the Spokesman for the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Ahmed Hussein Adam, said that a delegation the rebel group will leave for Doha, Qatar, early next week.

The people of Sudan in Darfur say that there is still a chance for the Arab League to reflect and feel remorse for its negative attitudes towards Darfur and repent. Will it do so? A sixty-four dollar question ($64 question)!

Dr. Mahmoud A. Suleiman is the Deputy Chairman of the General Congress for Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). He can be reached at [email protected]