NCP’s nuclear reactor project adds insult on injury of the Sudanese people
By Mahmoud A. Suleiman
August 30, 2010 — Xiong Tong, the Editor of the Xinhua News Agency, the official press agency of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the biggest centre for collecting information and press conferences in the PRC, reported that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts held talks with Sudanese officials to study the possibility of establishing the first nuclear reactor for scientific research in Sudan on Monday 23rd August 2010 in Khartoum. This was also reported by the official news agency of the government of Sudan, (SUNA). Furthermore, the Chinese News agency said that during the meeting, Director General of the Sudanese Agency for Atomic Energy Mr. Mohamed Ahmed Hassan al-Tayeb stressed the importance of establishing the nuclear reactor, saying it would promote neutron analysis in mining companies, environmental studies and disease treatment and so on.
Understandably, IAEA experts said they “wanted to get acquainted with the readiness of Sudan to receive the first research reactor in terms of human capabilities and actual need,” the report said. Moreover and according to the report, Sudan’s first nuclear reactor is expected to be built in 2010. The Xinhua News Agency also said that the IAEA described the research reactor as an important step in training and qualifying workers. On the other front, it is believed that the NIF/NCP government in Khartoum began its exploitation of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes after it signed with the IAEA an agreement two years ago, which approved the establishment of a nuclear reactor in Sudan.
In a related report other News agencies indicated that Sudan has repeatedly supported Iran’s nuclear program in its public rhetoric. Sudan has been a consistent and vocal supporter of Iran’s contentious nuclear programme. In a rare private meeting with a foreign head of state in 2006, Ayatollah Khamanei told Sudan President Omar Al-Bashir that “the Islamic Republic is ready to transfer this experience and the technology and knowledge of its [nuclear] scientists” to other friendly countries. In return, Bashir called Iran’s enrichment of uranium a great victory for the Islamic world and supported Iran’s right to its peaceful nuclear programme. Again in March 2007 and March 2008, the Sudanese president reiterated his support for Iran’s nuclear programme, despite growing international concern over possible proliferation activities.
It is not a coincidence or surprising that interest of the official Chinese news agency in the Sudanese nuclear reactor lucrative project if we take into account China’s voracious appetite in its current investments in energy and oil in Sudan. The people of Sudan in Darfur used to label China’s trading pattern with the National Congress Party (NCP) despotic Islamist regime led by the Fugitive Marshal Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir as “Oil for Blood”. This is in reference to the fact that China sells Arms and ammunition in return for the cheap Sudanese oil to the NCP government to ethnically cleanse and carry out its genocidal sprees on the defenceless innocent Sudanese civilian citizens in Darfur, Southern Sudan, Nuba Mountains, Ingessana, Eastern Sudan and Manaseer in Northern Sudan. China offers immense political support to the NCP regime at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) waving its prerogative Veto against any Resolution the UN body attempted to pass on the Islamist government of Sudan. The $2-billion Merowe Dam was built by Chinese engineers and financed largely by loans from China and Arab countries. It’s designed to double Sudan’s electricity supply. Tens of thousands of villagers have already been displaced. But villagers from the Manaseer area, 350 kilometres north of the capital Khartoum, say that new houses built for them by the government are too far from the river. The farmers say that they will not have the water needed to sustain their agriculture. The government has declined to say what action it will take against farmers who refuse to leave.
It is ironical, though no wonder, that Sudan that has been classified by the CPI Index Ratings as the Country Number FOUR among top Ten most impoverished nation with low human development and corrupt in the World, and was classified as the Third most unstable Failed State in the world and its people straining under the poverty line, but shamelessly, the NCP regime tries to Dispel to embezzle other billions petrodollars on Nuclear Reactor when its citizens live on handouts from the generosity of the good doers of the world. This is part of the wastage of public money the NCP elements used to practice without any expectation of benefit or achievement and more deprivation of the citizens from the basic necessities of life such as food, water, education, healthcare and feeling safe. As expected, Sudan has been beaten in the race for the degree and extent of corruption and poverty of their population by Somalia, Afghanistan and Myanmar! Chad was rated by the CPI Index Ratings as country Number Six of the poorest, most corrupt nations. There is often civil dissent and ethnic violence. The citizens often try to overthrow the government. There are also many Sudanese refugees living in Chad to escape the genocide in their country.
Moreover, the USCRI survey has ranked Sudan as one of the world’s leading producers of uprooted people and one out of eight Sudanese is internally Displaced Person (IDP).
International political analysts consider this NCP government nuclear reactor project will defeat itself and it is not more than a similar propaganda two decades ago when pledges were made by the National Islamic Front (NIF) soon they took over power through their June 30th 1989 coup d’état under Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir. At the time, the Islamist military regime promised the Sudanese public that their National Salvation Revolution (NSR) or (Arabic Ingaz) would be self-reliant and made the passionate slogan which robbed people’s feelings and conscience at the period: “We will eat what we grow and wear what we make”, the result was a ‘mirage and catch the wind’ as the Sudan People’s saying goes. The NIF/NCP very soon realised that their logo was unsustainable and instead they called for tightening of belts for jihad against the people of the Southern Sudan whom they classified them as infidel (Arabic, Kuffar or Kufr) as a pretext to eliminate the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement Army (SPLM/A), led by the late Dr. John Garang de Mabior.
Observers wonder whether the Islamist despotic génocidaire regime elements still have the gut and aspire to continue in power, as they projected that they will build their first nuclear power plant for energy production for ‘Peaceful’ electricity purposes by the year 2020 which is reported by the state news agency SUNA and by the Israeli News Source Haaretz.
It was said time in memoriam that beating the dead is forbidden (Haram), but NIF/NCP elements seem to not learn the lessons from their chronic blunders and fatal mistakes in view of their loss of vision that has been dimmed by their grandiose arrogance. Isn’t it more desirable and better to employ these funds to pay the dues for the legitimate demands of the people of Sudan in Darfur or reinstate the rights of the Naivasha agreement of the population of southern Sudan? Isn’t it time for this band to be going to the dustbin of history? These are the SIXTY FOUR DOLLAR QUESTIONS ($64) that await answers!
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].