Sudan’s diplomacy at the wake of ICC arrest warrant

By Roba Gibia

April 20, 2009 – The most prevailing feature of non-democratic and despotic countries is the persistent and deliberate denial of human rights, blockage of justice, lack of genuine and independent judiciary system and false acquisition of popularity! Most of the underdeveloped rulers were not elected democratically, and if happened, it was not a fair and transparent elections, but rather were all military juntas or self imposed rulers. These tyrannical rulers initiated tight, vigilant and merciless security apparatus to keep them in power. Not only that but it continues bulldozing anyone standing on its way till when the entire population was overcome by consistency fear, and frightfully rally behind their oppressive leaders in order to survive, not because they love their leaders but because they were terrified. Therefore, the people living under dictatorship never decide their fate and have no say in the government but have to follow their leaders blindly even if that could lead to country’s catastrophe.

At this context, I would like to affirm that there are some countries which has got radical and obliteration ideology against other doctrines and faiths, but yet it claims that she is the only pure and righteous country that has got values, respects human rights and cares about its people, while in realism it continues to butcher and execute the policy of land scorch, discrimination, mobilization and forceful imposition of their inhumane ideology on other races and tribes which is the common feature of radicalism and extremism in countries like Sudan. And that was evident, as when SPLM/A was about to reach an agreement with semi-elected democratic government in Khartoum, the NIF/NCP staged military coup and came into power in 1989 with pretext of saving the country from verge of collapse, and named themselves “Revolutionary Salvation” and despite resistance from some Sudanese, the National Islamic Front managed in the name of Islam and Arabism to reshape Sudan’s face as one of the radical Islamic countries which hosts and offers save heaven to extremists and terrorists.

During the course of civil war between south and north, there were many atrocities, ethnic cleansing and all kinds of crimes against humanity were committed against South Sudanese people with absolute impunity which claimed more than 2.5 million lives, far from the eyes of media. And despite human rights perseverance during Naivasha negotiations to hold those who committed crimes against humanity in south accountable, but the agreement failed either to compensate or hold those perpetrators accountable. This in my view encouraged NIF/NCP to continue with its crime against humanity in Darfur, but the international media played a great role in exposing Darfur war crimes to the international community, since when the crisis erupted in 2003 unlike the case in South Sudan.

Even though Darfur crisis and suffering of Darfuris were not displayed in Sudanese government controlled media and TV, and despite continued denial from Khartoum that the conflict in Darfur is over water, but due to the magnitude of crisis and humanitarian disaster, Khartoum confessed that there is human disaster in the region which she could not handle, and agreed to deploy African forces in the region and later accepted mixed United Nations Peace keeping forces. This indicates undoubtedly that Khartoum is not able to handle the situation in the ravaged region, but needs the assistance of the international community. By accepting regional and international forces, Darfur crisis has already entered international community ring which could not be resolved locally and regionally but at international level.

Therefore, despite Khartoum’s continues accusations to the foreign media and humanitarian organizations that they are internationalizing Darfur crisis, but she did nothing to make Darfur crisis and suffering of the people and especially children and gang raping of women apparent to the Sudanese people within Sudan. But rather Khartoum continued to bar Sudanese and foreign journalists from entering Darfur, and threatening the entire international community instead of playing genuine diplomacy and exerting effort to resolve its own made mess! Thus, the NCP resorted to its early doctrine of Islamic radicalism and made Sudan fertile soil for terrorist organizations and a base to train and fight pagans and foreigners in the name of Islam. And that was obvious by President Bashir’s support to Mojahideen, Hamas, Hizbualla and Al Qaida as well as Salah Gosh, head of national security and intelligence said that “Anyone who attempts to put his hands to execute ICC plans we will cut his hands, head and parts”. I wonder as whether Sudan has got that capacity to cut hands, heads and parts of the international community or the threat was largely directed to Sudanese who wanted justice to triumph.

Upon issuance of arrest warrant against President al Bashir on March 4, 2009, Khartoum placed diplomacy on shelve and adopted one of the nasty and dirtiest diplomacy the world has ever witnessed. In my view the diplomacy Khartoum adopted at the wake of ICC arrest warrant, was due to political insolvency. During his visit to Darfur after three days from issuance of arrest warrant, President Bashir told Darfurians about his government’s commitment to aiding voluntary return, and said that “I do not want the children of Darfur to remain in IDP camps”, but what forced those children to live in IDP camps, remain unsolved. Then how can you aid voluntary return! Since when President al Bashir came to power by coup in 1989, he never came close to its people and danced heavily as he did at the wake of ICC arrest warrant, even during the signing of Naivasha peace agreement on January 9, 2005. Thus, the dancing of President al-Bashir at Green Square in Khartoum and Darfur at the Sudanese melody was one of the medications to relief himself from high tension and stress he has been undergoing. Normally any president chooses his/her words carefully even during the difficult times, and diplomacy continues to play great role, but that was not the issue with Sudan. President al-Bashir and entire NIF/NCP leaders adopted antagonistic approach against its own people and the international community at large. And that was evident when President Bashir said the whole world is under his shoe and some insulting words which doesn’t comply with his status as president. Not only that but presidential advisor, Mustafa Osman insulted whole Sudanese people by terming them beggars prior to NIF/NCP coming to power by coup in 1989. This in my view, was a gross misconduct by a high Khartoum official which exhibits absolute insolvency in politics and diplomacy from one hand, and on the other it exposed few ruling NIF/NCP cling as beggars before their military coup in 1989, where they used to beg money from Arab countries in the name of Islam and Arabism to fortify and implement their agenda but not that Sudanese people were beggars. Sudanese people are rich with their natural resources, if it could only be utilized for the advantage of entire country and equitable development, there will be no problem in Sudan. But Sudan’s entire oil money goes to the pockets of few ruling groups, leaving the majority of Sudanese people in absolute poverty.

The great rallies which went out in support of president al-Bashir whether being in Khartoum or Darfur was not voluntarily but were forcefully mobilized and taken from government institutions against their will, just to show to the international community that the entire Sudanese people are standing behind their president, which was a false acquisition of popularity. Therefore, in my view, the Sudanese people are intimidated and stripped from their right to express their views freely. The majority of Sudanese people wanted Bashir to stand justice but could not come openly and speak against president Bashir. In Zalingi president al-Bashir called for reconciliation, to investigate those who committed crimes, killed and the killers. But the question is, who will investigate who, and who are those investigators, because the entire people of Darfur or Sudan do not have trust and confidence in al-Bashir’s government. Thus, Bashir’s call for reconciliation, investigation and to bring those who committed crimes in Darfur to face justice was baseless and can not be justified. And that was why people of Darfur promptly rejected Bashir’s call for reconciliation. It is worth noting that Bashir’s call for reconciliation does not start at the wake of arrest warrant but since after Naivasha agreement in 2005 but without durability. At this context, Bashir accused some humanitarian organizations for distributing Bibles in Darfur, but while South Sudanese people were forced to Islam as prerequisite for distribution of aid supplies in IDP camps by Islamic organizations, they were not accused of distributing the Holy Koran to Southerners because they were genuinely implementing Khartoum’s policy of using food as weapon and Islamization.

Therefore, a close observer on Sudan’s diplomacy at the wake of ICC arrest warrant against president al-Bashir, will conclude that Khartoum has abandoned diplomacy and adopted hostile approach to deal with whoever supports ICC arrest warrant, and was behaving like mad dog and wanted everyone to behave like her blindly. Ignoring that truth has to be spelled out, justice has to take its course and everyone has to express its view but not to shut everyone down. This is era of free world, and diplomacy is the only option for administering and resolving issues between the countries even during the war, diplomacy is the pivotal option which all countries favor but not aggressive approach. But even NCP considered its partner as collaborator of ICC which widened the gap, and deepened lack of trust and confidence between the two partners. And that was evident by NCP move to probe FM Deng Alor about his statement on the expulsion of humanitarian organizations from Darfur, which SPLM rejected promptly by saying that “SPLM ministers are not children at school where they are taught what to say or to quit”. And it seems this is what Khartoum has recently resorted to after visit of president al-Bashir to Eritrea, Egypt and Libya and attending Arab summit in Doha, Qatar. Thus, according to some reliable sources, President al-Bashir was advised and warned to refrain from his hostile tone, insulting and waging war against international community and depicting Ocampo (ICC prosecutor) like dog will not help the situation but rather it will aggravate and complicate the whole situation. Thus, the best option for Khartoum is to adopt flexibility, genuine diplomacy and to cooperate with the ICC in order to overcome the crisis instead of hostility approach. Therefore, despite Sudan’s sharp criticism, insult and accusation that USA wanted to colonize Sudan, but United States never responded in same harsh manner but instead sent its special envoy Scott Gration which was tasked to negotiate the return of humanitarian organizations back to Darfur. Thus, if President Obama’s special envoy Gration failed to get back humanitarian organizations on ground in Darfur, there are other options on table which United States is going to adopt, and it doesn’t mean imposition of one side’s idea on another but will require concession from both sides based on mutual interests and respect to get humanitarian organizations back on ground.

The author is a Sudan Tribune journalist. He can be reached at
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