Police clamp down on youth protesters in Sudan amid reports of student death

Police clamp down on youth protesters in Sudan amid reports of student death
Tunis, Egypt—is Sudan Next?

A Tunisian who works for the moderate Islamist channel Al Wihar met me yesterday and said: “Sudan is next, but not in the same manner.” Several Sudanese opposition writers and politicians have also predicted a Tunisian or Egyptian style uprising in Sudan. Let us consider the causes of unrest and see if they fit the situation in Sudan.

British and U.S. responses to events in Egypt are wide of the mark. Two examples illustrate this. The highly respectable newspaper The Guardian enumerated in an editorial (27 January) the grievances of the protesters ” … sparked by self-immolation, unemployment and high food prices.” What the editorial leaves out is equally important: it is kowtowing to the West and Israel. It was most insensitive to force the Egyptians to engage in the siege of Gaza at a time in which US and British officials denounced the Israeli attack on the Flotilla carrying aid.

The U.S. Huffington Post provides another example. Marcus Baram wrote (29 January) that People in Egypt were disappointed in President Obama, especially in the wake of his June 2009 Cairo speech. He cited very relevant U.S. controversial policies like cutting funding for democracy and governance as well as funding for civil society and NGOs in Egypt. Like The Guardian’s Editorial, he left out the very significant factor in which U.S. policy “blinked first” and backtracked when confronted by far right Israeli intransigence in settlement building that contradicts the US drawn road map and commitment to a two states solution to the conflict.

To support Israel without” tough love “conditions undermines the claim that the West is serious about Human Rights. To embrace what Uri Davis called ”Apartheid Israel” in his book with the same title, and force Arab allies to do the same even when the face of Israel is Lieberman/Netenyahu, is to endanger Western interest, weaken moderates in Arab /Muslim countries and doom rulers who comply to isolation and violent uprisings like what we see in Egypt and Tunisia. By comparison, President Bashir is seen in his own country and wider afield as a national leader who is unfairly vilified and targeted by the West. Mahmoud Mamadani and other experts have documented the direct link between the Israel lobby in the USA and organisations like Save Darfur Coalition that led a blinkered, well funded and orchestrated campaign. The campaign ended in a farcical ICC indictment by an unaccountable unelected prosecutor whose court is not recognised by three UNSC members (the U.S., China and Russia). The same UNSC which authorised the ICC to investigate a state which is not party to the Rome Statute that created the court! On the other hand, Bashir’s position on the Middle East conflict is quite reasonable and consistent. Peace with Israel is possible if Israel accepted the Arab League offer that is on the table since 2002. The recently published Palestine Papers show that Israel is not interested in a return to 1967 borders. Its strategy seems to be continued occupation, continued land grabs until the Red-Indianisation of the Palestinians is complete and they are left with some “reservations” that salve the conscience of the West. Indeed, one can claim that Bashir’s relations with the West are an example of success for “soft power” and realistic policies. The CPA stipulated Democratic Transformation that took place and brought about an environment of openness without parallel in neighbouring countries. There are no political prisoners in Sudan. All political parties (including the Communist Party) are legally active with headquarters and publications. There are tens of newspapers, magazines, TV channels and (U.S. funded) civil society organisations. Elections have taken place and the Southern Sudan self-determination referendum was carried out in an orderly and credible manner. Enough Project warnings and predictions were proven wrong, again. Bashir’s speech in Juba on 4 January was a lesson in statesmanship meant to pave the way for a peaceful and friendly relationship with the expected break-away state. Many in the west do not recognise the significance of the 1999 split among the Islamists that resulted in Bashir ousting his previous mentor Turabi. It was not just a “palace coup”. It signified a shift from Turabi’s international project to a new modest National project. Turabi wanted a Sudan that confronts the West, meddles in neighbours’ affairs and aspires to lead all Arabs and Muslims from Khartoum. The alternative which triumphed is a Sudanese project prioritising peace in the South (later Darfur), development and good relations regionally and internationally. Instead of Jihad against the South, the CPA and self-determination. Instead of confrontation with the West, cooperation in the war on terror and democratic transformation.

Some professional full- time enemies of peace and stability in Sudan still portray Bashir’s regime in the light of Turabi’s actions and ambitions. Promises to lift the name of Sudan from the state sponsors of terror list were not honoured. Firm promises by the international community during the Oslo 2005 conference to help rebuild the South were also not honoured.

Will the Sudan undergo a violent intifada similar to the Tunisian or Egyptian uprisings? That is highly unlikely, for the following reasons:

1- Uprisings happen as a result of suppression. The democratic transformation brought about by the Western brokered CPA has removed this factor. The group with the ability to revolt, the SPLM/A is an ally of Bashir and his NCP. Pagan Amum, the most provocative and anti-northern SPLM secretary general told a press conference in Khartoum last December that ”having a steady government in the north and south will contribute positively to ensure security and development.” He argued against change of government in the north.

2- Uprisings happen against docile leaders who ingratiate themselves to the West and put its interests above national dignity. Bashir was never groomed by the West which (as the Palestine Papers show) gives itself the right to choose leaders and depose others, even if they win elections!

3- The alternative leaders to Bashir have been tried before. They have no credibility and are too old to represent a long term choice. Sadiq alMahdi became prime Minister twice and failed twice. A decent and generous man (he invited me and our family to a reception at his residence when I returned to Khartoum) but an inadequate leader. Mohamed Ibrahim Nugud, leader of the Communist Party – which refused to change its name after the collapse of the USSR – is a political ghost from the past, with negligible popular support. The Unionists are no longer a coherent party. They are held together by the Khatmiyya sect’s leader alone. Turabi is 100% discredited because of what he did in the early 1990s when he was the de facto ruler.

4- Before declaring austerity measures; Bashir’s government consulted trade Unions and declared a 40% rise in pay. Exemptions were made for fares in public transport.

5- Bashir leads a National Unity Government and has started negotiations to co-opt more parties.

The present writer opposed Turabi’s international project, but together with many others, accepted the Western-brokered CPA that stipulated democratic transformation. By so doing it saved the government in Khartoum from the conditions that would have made the country ripe for an uprising.

Police clamp down on youth protesters in Sudan amid reports of student death
Sam Eto

There you go again copying and pasting someone elses writings on here under your name.

Have you no original thoughts or opinions that you have to keep stealing other peoples for your own?

Police clamp down on youth protesters in Sudan amid reports of student death
Sam eto,

Please stop lecturing us here on this site, this is not a universtiy debat but a political,let your commet be short & sweet.

Police clamp down on youth protesters in Sudan amid reports of student death
Sam.Eto,

This article is biased and written by NCP journalist only to influence public opinion not to worry about potential development of political instability in Sudan especially after July 9, 2011.

“A Tunisian who works for the moderate Islamist channel Al-Wihar met me yesterday and said: “Sudan is next, but not in the same manner.” Several Sudanese opposition writers and politicians have also predicted a Tunisian or Egyptian style uprising in Sudan. Let us consider the causes of unrest and see if they fit the situation in Sudan.”

In essence, the causes of unrest fit the situation in Sudan because of the following:

a) Economic situation is getting worse as a result of continued rising food and oil prices.

b) The political system in Sudan is entirely based on subjective competitive interpretation of Quran to make/amend laws, dictate, marginalize, discriminate against, detain with/out trial, torture and even hang/kill opponents at one’s disposal.

c) Absence of democratic institutions and lack of term limit on governance is replaced by competitive political influence for maintaining political power.

d) Since most Arab countries lack proper democratic system for recycling political power, violent uprising has become a traditional mechanism to overthrow regime deemed dictatorial.

e) University graduates and youth constitutes over 75% and are unemployed but still miserably struggling to make the ends meet on daily basis.

f) Freedom forces are gaining momentum prompted by the separation of South Sudan.

g) The number of violent Islamic extremists is on the rise since virgins/bachelors are waiting for them in heavens.

Sam.Eto add some more on the list, please.

Paul Ongee
Khartoum, Sudan

Police clamp down on youth protesters in Sudan amid reports of student death
Bol Deng and Alliance:

I always look down on your comments since you have nothing in common with me dude!
What we are pointing out at this moment is something your upcoming children with no tribal brains will enjoy. I am an academia and living at an utmost life style, but loved to see those in the grass root benefiting with equal fashion of life.

When I said ‘Dinka’, are not all of them since even in Bhargazel those of Malual Giirnyang, Tuchmayardit and other have been misrepresented as well as segregated from the system.

Having said that, Dinka will not finish Nuer and Nuer will not finish Dinka. All we need is to build a clear ‘roadmap’ where all the good models are assembled together and the wrong ones are discarded.

Imagined, a Nuer or an Equatoria man come to power one day and do some reprisal to your kids for all the evils ‘Dinka’ have committed, that couldn’t be fair to me, right?

Please don’t encourage this move hence its flashback is gruesome. If you carefully study the main cause of civil wars in Africa are ignited by tribal dominancy, corruption and favouritism. A nation conceived through tribal dominant tends not to develop steady and falls into many crises. Any badly started government lives in coups and corruption, and revenge is the course of the morning break.

Prove these points at Rwanda, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Uganda and add some….across Africa continent. We are not just crying or sobbing to bypass the day, but yeaning for the freedom and the sake of next generations. This is the reason why we need everything to start with good governance, strong faith and brotherly spirit.

What had happened fifty, twenty or six years a go are gone cases and parts of the history to refer to, therefore; let’s all open a new chapter where tranquility and equality are the theme of this new country.

South Sudan Oyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Police clamp down on youth protesters in Sudan amid reports of student death
First of all, may Almighty God forgive and rest the soul of Mohamed Abdel Rahman, the first defenseless martyr in these protests and help his family and friends cope with his loss. Coming to the protest, it was very clear that the NCP was very aware of the growing hate of the people for the system and the reasons are known and many. The reaction of the police and hidden security forces showed that they were expecting a battle with protestor (a scared cat always attacks first). And despite the fact that they managed to clamp down the people, this has proven to be the start of the nightmare for them. I personally think they will start to change the way they speak to the nation before its too late for them, however, the damage is done in Sudan and its irreversible and nothing can put down the fire in the people’s hearts rather than toppling this dictatorship.

The only problem I see facing these protests is that it will take some time and several attempts to be able to produce fruitful results and this is because these protests are currently organized by the youth elite if we can say so (youth who have internet access and are open to what is happening in the world and usually represents university students). So, unless the message is passed to the commoners in the community and you start to see the whole spectrum of the society joining the protests, they will still be clamped down. So, a few more protests with the help of international media would serve that cause a lot. Unfortunately for Sudan, Egypt is covering up the media those days and the west is busy with the consequences of losing an ally in the region and how to solve this dilemma, while the Egyptian people started to see the results of their struggle.

The problem with Sudan is that the people were clinically dead when it comes to political participation and self expression in the country for so long. This is due to years of oppression by the NIF/NCP through killing protestors, controlling the civil society bodies, ghost houses and political intimidation through harsh warnings to the people (people have to know that this regime is worse than the one in Tunisia and Egypt), however, I see a spark of hope because everybody in the country seemed to reach a conclusion that these people have to go and they can never be trusted again, but the only problem is that people are still very fearful from the regime (fear sickness have been engraved in their minds all these years). These demonstrations are aimed to bring the life back to the society and to cure the fear syndrome and be positive about our country and prevent its dissolution). And, if the will is strong and these demonstrations continue, they will succeed but not in the same way as in Tunisia or Egypt because this regime is more brutal but at the same time is very weak from the inside (they cannot hold on to power like Mubarak now if the people reached the current egyptian stage of protests).

Peace.