Pagan Amum and the International Criminal Court.

By Luke Kuth Dak.

February 4, 2009 — The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King once said: “ An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over it’s injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.”

When it comes to the International Criminal Court , also known as [ICC], the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement [SPLM] finds itself in awkward position. The party of late Dr. John Garang de Mabior is so disoriented- even after the emergency meeting of it’s political bureau- to spell out it’s position as clearly and unambiguously as possible, on how to deal with ICC , in case of an indictment against the embattled President Omar al-Basher.

Quite frankly, I lost count on the number the [ SPLM] leaders who contradicted themselves, time and time again on the party’s position. Often times, President Mayardit is saying one thing. The next day another ranking leader is saying the exact opposite, in a way that’s indicative of a political turmoil and lack of coordination under their turf.

It’s unfortunate that after 21-years- at war with the so-called Islamic National Front [INF] , the [ SPLM] still doesn’t seem to understand how to deal with them. Confrontation- unfortunately, is the only language they seem to understand better. So, by no means the [SPLM] should take it’s eyes off the ball and indulge in exposing the areas of it’s weakness. Because if it does, all of us would be over run in broad day light like a bunch of fools. The war’s not over until it’s over.

Said Plato, the great Greek philosopher, “ Wise men speak because they have something to say. Fools because they have to say something.” No politician I have ever met has a more eloquent and honest tongue than Ustaz Pagan Amum, the [SPLM’s] Secretary General. So, when he said that, the comprehensive Peace agreement will be just fine, even if President al- Basher is indicted, we should believe him. He was there when the world witnessed it, in the first place. Even more so, Pagan deserves to be extolled, for bravely standing tall in his challenge of the so-called the Government of National Unity, to co-operate with the [ICC], in order to avoid confrontation with the International Community.

By so doing, Mr. Amum has taken a risk that could very well lead to the loss of his freedom, just as did before him Dr. Hassan Abdullah al-Turabi, the former( Ingaz) master-minder. But that’s what Leaders are supposed to do? Leaders become ones not because they are cleverer than the rest of us, but because they can make decisions that are tough and in most cases unpopular, but they are just.

“ Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, said Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent.” A PhD at 29, King could have been anything and everything he wanted to be. But he put his people first and did so like no one else before. That’s what a leader is all about.

But soon after Amum’s press conference in Khartoum, last week, the [NCP] affiliated extreme, and in most cases racist media outlets, namely: al- Intibaha, al – Rayaam and Sudan safari, began grilling him. He had been called all the names in the book, for saying out loud what the majority of Sudanese only whisper about, in fear of the regime’s brutality against the freedom of speech.. Their message to Amum is Simple: Shut up! Or your life will be in an eminent danger. But who said leadership is tourism? The threats are real, and we should all work together to minimize them.

The question: why does the security agency charged with censorship disappear when the media strict codes of conduct are being violated against the Southern leaders? The answer is that, the press is acting in full support of the regime, which controls the media, in the first place..

The game’s crystal clear.

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