Beshir and the era of indictment
Taban Abel Aguek
May 22, 2009 — Those people who had eagerly anticipated the ICC arrest warrant of Beshir may have either now been mortified or simply turned into news-mongers but life and the regime continues for the Sudanese president. Several useless highly publicized trips could trigger a thought on whether the ICC warrant of arrest was only a bluff. I am among those who believe that anyone accused in court is likely a guilt party and until trials he or she ought to be kept at bay. This is not the case for the indicted Sudanese president, for instead of being a culprit he moved even a notch higher by collaborating with some Arab and African head of states on thwarting the ICC; eventually inviting him in high profile meetings and setting up a different Beshir that desires to be seen and heard by many or used by the media to sell well. I may guess the cause
When Bush declared war on terror immediately after the September 11, he said he wanted the leader and the proprietor of the al Qaeda attack alive or dead. Apart from all the other threats none stood so prominent like the wanted head of then little known Osama bin Laden. Into the sixth year the achievement is the crucial curbing of the terrorism in most parts of globe with American interests. But still there was one big miss: the failure to bring to justice the mastermind and the most wanted criminal of the millennium. And hence from there the name bin Laden becomes a pleasant media thing to sell their programs and therefore turning the man from a big culprit to a celebrity.
Those who never knew about Bin Laden before were easily given a center of getting to know, picking more interest and immediately becoming something of ‘what if I could see him’.
This is almost the same thing with Beshir. Before indictment and the release of an arrest warrant, the Sudan’s president was never exposed to world media as it happens today. And moving three trips abroad the mission was not the importance of his presence at the summits but to show that he is able to move. As the cameras move ahead and behind him, he becomes even more than he was supposed to be and to some extent shaming those that supported his arrest. With all this going on it can not be avoidable by those who never knew him before to develop interest in him and at the same time being used by various media to sell lucratively.
The indictment of Beshir by the ICC is as obscure as the situation in Darfur. The late wife of the Jordanian king described the situation in Darfur as an obscenity admitting the complexity of the matter but expressing no concern for the suffering civilians of Darfur just in the name of ‘undeclared Arab solidarity’ that promote an urge to support an Arab regime no matter how what crimes he committed. From the leaders of most Arab states, Palestine has been left by the West to suffer in the hands of Israel, and therefore Darfur should be left in the hands of the Arab Northern regime to treat the region the way Israel treats Palestine with the West’s interference. Therefore, there is no any better way to scorn the West rather than standing on the way of ICC. As it becomes the way of hitting the weak to frighten the strong, Darfur becomes an innocent victim of political wrangles between the Arab world and the West and therefore both justice and democracy are sacrificed in the name of solidarity.
Having gone already about a half dozen trips around the world despite the arrest warrant, Beshir by now does not insult the ICC but he too gets advertised. Last summer he talked of going to the US if invited. That leaves him with only one place to avoid even if invited, The Hague. But if there’s need to show that he still garners support from many parts of the world, then ICC will have to care for its dear life as members threat to withdraw from the Rome Statute in solidarity with the indicted Sudanese sitting president. Why? We are all sitting presidents who are corrupt, undemocratic and unjust; justice can not be meted out by those who also await justice.
With the BBC’s Hardtalk interview the only truth that Beshir could manage to accept was that his forces killed people in Darfur, though the casualty figures are westernized by the foreign media and anti-Sudan groups. He thinks by this he directly or physically killed no body. But on his request – some were televised shortly after the war in the devastated region sparked off – the army he leads fulfilled his orders in operations that targeted tribes of Darfur and coupled up with the use of ruthless militias (Janjaweed) Darfur was brought to a terrible lost of over 250,000 people (250,000 I am scared too but even 10,000 lives is still too much). Anyway, that is al Beshir’s argument. The better ones, maybe, are those that may not have died but the life under harsh and constant treatment of torture, rape and refuge are no different at all.
President Barrack Obama, when he expressed sadness about the Arab League and African Union backing of al Beshir made me think that he still has to learn something about Africans and Arabs. With Africans, the leader of any nation is the people. Period! So, the opinions of the millions citizens are never important and therefore the opinions of Meles Zanawi, Mammar Gadaffi, Hosni Mubarak were eventually the opinions of their nations. The Arabs, I like them… an Arab regime must always supported even if it killed all people as long as the regime has stated concern about the west’s interference in that nation. Sovereignty of state then changes the meaning and the truth is better sacrificed for the sake of a certain undeclared war against those who hurt Islam. This exactly reflects the statement of the wife of the late Jordanian King, Queen Noor, in an interview with CNN saying that “Darfur is an obscenity. The sources of that conflict are very complex but what is happening to people on the ground is absolutely unacceptable by any norms”. Why double speak? Cry for Darfur with one eye and wink at Beshir with the other.
Moreover, truth and justice have been buried in most African states. There is no way African leaders can support the ICC when they can possibly be at the same time victims of the same court. The African leaders need much money, fame and everything that fancy more than a state of celebrity. I hope you are reading this piece at your leisure time. That is how it has to be with all Celebs – if I forgot to include Beshir then remind me. The indictment for this one leader was only a song that was being misinterpreted and all the hope of anyone standing trials have quickly been turned into dancing tunes. The drums in The Hague are only about those who dictated a few thousands and killed hundreds but those who did more than double creates even more popularity. Let those who never knew Beshir before deny this.
Both the indictment and arrest warrant of the ICC came like bread and butter. Nice but in the interest of hose who want to drop wait. Those who long prayed for justice felt answered at Ocampo’s filings of Beshir’s crimes only to be left hanging with more recreation of a stronger al Beshir who at the same time turned into must-watch character by the bystanders and a must-follow by Arabs. Those who win elections and stay in power in the Arab states are those who proclaim war against the west and Beshir is one of them. Akin to how they announce the visit of pope, Beshir troubles unworried in highly publicized missions to Qatar, Ethiopia, Egypt …no doubt always a cherished one in the Middle East al Beshir feels like he is in Khartoum. He can not be availed to anyone even upon godly request anywhere in that region.
The era of indictment for al Beshir is an era full of ‘dos’ and no ‘don’ts’ – an era of confusion mixed with courage. Here fear becomes sharpness and worry turns into wisdom. In general this is a time you mess up things so that they solve themselves. It is the era of peace negotiations in certain parts of the country, but war will only stop either when we ran out of ammunitions or when all people finished. Elections are around the corner and they will be properly conducted and handled just the way it was done with the national census. It has to be proved to the West and the ICC supporters that despite their ill-intent and defamation we are popular and election results will soon show this. We must either win these elections or win them (please, never mind this sort of English). Good enough this is a country without opinion polls. To block ICC is of the highest demand and the power is the only way. I too, am dying to prove that my president is crime-free. I have already voted for Beshir – but don’t call this a vote of sympathy. Now I remain with two wishes: get invited to the 2010 victory party in the People’s Palace and accompany the president on his post-election visit of London, Paris, New York – and never The Hague. Amen
Taban Abel Aguek is based in Rumbek – South Sudan. He can be reached at [email protected]