Significance of synchronisation of Bashir’s prisoners release and Ali Osman’s dialogue

By Mahmoud A. Suleiman

April 6, 2013 – The significance of synchronisation of the Republican decree issued by Omer al-Bashir to release political prisoners and his Deputy Ali Mohammed Osman’s invitation to the opposition forces to engage in a political Dialogue raised doubts of their credibility. Political analysts similarly, called into question the timing and sincerity of the intention behind the two initiatives.

The recent decrees Issued by the National Congress Party (NCP) President Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir are thought flagrantly contradict the suppression of freedoms, which has continued for a quarter of a century. In that there exist number of laws restricting freedoms including the 2010 National Security Act, which provides agents of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) with far reaching powers and free hand to arrest, detain or imprison arbitrarily as they wish evading accountability and enjoying impunity. Those set of laws are inconsistent with the international fundamental human rights. Bearing in mind that is happening despite the existence of the Transitional Constitution of 2005, under which al-Bashir elected himself President in the last controversial General Elections and consequently resulted in the secession of the southern Sudan after a referendum to establish its independent country, the Republic of South Sudan. All the international Human Rights laws are enshrined in the Transitional Constitution. Political analysts indicate that it is pointless and waste of time (PWOT) issuing decrees, which would not be subject to practical implementation; they do not worth the ink utilized in writing nor worth the paper, they printed on. Al-Bashir’s attempt is media hype, just a PR exercise of throwing ashes on the eyes, laughter at chins and beards, a red herring for deception! Moreover, it is a Media Balloon blown up in the cyber space to keep politicians busy away from the real issues of concern to the people of Sudan. The Dialogue, which Omer al-Bashir and his deputy Rasputin Ali Othman Mohammed Taha call for, at best, described as dialogue with self. Tyrants’ dialogues with opponents are pointless, waste of time that only provide additional time for them to remain on the ‘throne’. The popular adage says: “the sapiens will not be bitten twice from the same hole”!

One commentator wrote sarcastically that the main purpose of Omar al-Bashir’s presidential decree for the release of ‘all’ political prisoners at this particular time, though beset by ambiguity, is clear. In that, al- Bashir had wanted through his decision to find a plausible justification and an opportunity to set free those arrested Islamist army officers after an allegedly planned sabotage or a coup attempt, which claimed by the Government of National Congress on November 22, 2012 and thwarted. Apparently, the Islamic Movement in Sudan, as they call themselves, are at a loss about what action they take to deal with the group accused of a coup attempt. The group included the former Director of National intelligence Security Services (NISS) Gen. Salah Abdallah Gosh, Major General Adel Al-Tayeb, the former commander of the Presidential Guard Brigadier General Mohammad Ibrahim Abdel-Jalil ‘AKA Wad Ibrahim’, along with the arrest of the Popular Defence Forces (PDF) leader Mustafa Nur al-Din. There were others among the 13 SAF military, intelligence and national security elements. He further said that there are considerable numbers of Darfuri political detainees incarcerated in the Khartoum’s Kober jail cells for more than ten years. The injustice imposed on them because they belong to the sons of the marginalised people. Whereas those who allegedly implicated in the recent coup d’état only have spent four months, yet headed for presidential amnesty because they are Islamist, close to the ruling regime and belong to the privileged class and the prestige group coming from the infamous Abdel Rahim Hamdi Triangle. During the previous lean 24 years al-Bashir issued purges and executions in the upper ranks of the army. In 1990, his National Salvation Revolution (NIF) regime in Khartoum executed 28 army officers hours after being accused of attempting to overthrow the al-Bashir government. The officers were executed by firing squad after a summary court-martial. It was thought at the time that the 28 high rank officers were executed promptly for their allegedly belonging to the Arab Baath Party.

The Justice and Equality Movement has distanced itself from the dialogue Omer al-Bashir asked the political opposition to enter. The Political Secretary for the (JEM), Suleiman Sandal Haggar reported as calling on the opposition forces, both civil and armed and the forces in the Charter of the New Dawn leadership and bases to isolate any of its members who intends or wants to enter into a dialogue with the National Congress Party to prolong its stay in power. Furthermore, the rebel Movement (JEM) stated that the alleged meeting Ali Osman Mohamed Taha held with some politicians in Germany is only for further meddling with Sudanese political affairs, disregard for the fate of the interests of the Sudanese people. The above seems to have been prompted by the confusing positions taken by some opposition members who came out scrambling and hurriedly making statements favouring the ‘invitation’ by Omer al-Bashir, which were understood as form of an initiative by the respective opposition groups. Furthermore, the news media have reported that the leader of Islamic Centrist Party Dr. Yousif al-Koda as has warned the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North Sector (SPLM-N) from a ‘new clone’ of the Naivasha Agreement through negotiating bilaterally with the National Congress Party regime. Whereas Kamil Idriss, a member of the opposition forces is quoted as saying “the release of the detainees is not (gift) offered by the regime of the National Congress Party for the Sudanese people. Still there are hundreds of men and women languishing in prisons in poor conditions. The NCP government is not serious in the dialogue called for the opposition to enter into it.”

The NCP in these days is doing all it can to create a rift between the components of the opposition armed and civilian. The NCP carries out that through temptations. Unfortunately there are some shortsighted blokes from the opposition are ready to listen to those lies and deception. Those are the very few who want to achieve cheap personal gains by betrayal of charters and covenants that they signed and promised their fellow citizens and their institutions. It is incumbent on the opposition forces, leadership and bases, to be alert in order to make the NCP regime led by Omar al-Bashir and his shrewd deputy Rasputin Ali Osman Mohamed Taha to miss the opportunity to pass their malicious agenda built on the skulls of martyrs of sons and daughters of the Sudanese homeland. The interests and the future of Sudan and the Sudanese people lie in the overthrow of the ruling regime of the National Congress Party by all available means. Whoever engages in a dialogue with the ruling regime of the National Congress Party would be a looser and the consequences are remorse and crying to the moon where it is too late with no benefit expected. Added to the forgoing the NCP regime exerted concerted efforts with the view to isolate the SPLM-North from among its allies in the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF). This is more so after the birth of the Charter of the New Dawn.

Ironically, the same International Criminal Court (ICC) indicted Génocidaire, Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir has issued two months ago a presidential decree for the release of Engineer Yousif Mohammed Saleh Libis Rahman and Abdul Halim Adam Sabi Timan. Nevertheless, in spite of the decision issued by the highest authority in the state they returned to the prison under another decision issued, surprisingly, by individuals with much less authority than the Head of the State, by Ibrahim Mohamed Hamid, the incumbent Minister of Interior and the security apparatus. The reported incident have made the director of Kober prison flabbergasted and quoted as saying to the duo that they are no longer his prisoners and that for the first time in the long history of his work finding such conflicting orders issued by the same regime!

What the NCP regime is trying to do in the last few weeks is not isolated news bulletin. In fact, there is concerted effort to score political points. This becomes clearer if we take into account al-Bashir’s pledge to release political prisoners, Ali Osman’s political dialogue myth, Darfur Donors’ conference in Doha and the spurious ‘piecemeal’ agreement signed between NCP government and the rebel splinter group. Al-Bashir’s regime is saying to the international community that it did all the desired political reforms and now the ‘ball’ is in the court of the political opposition and the armed movements to play their bit for the stability of Sudan! As if the NCP are saying to the UNSC and other international community players: “get your sanctions ready to be imposed on those who do not respond the appeal submitted by the President and his Deputy. The message of the NCP regime is similar to that of the Satan:” I am innocent, I fear Allah, the Lord of the Worlds”. In reality, the notoriety of NIF makes it the Demon of Mankind, who outperforms the demon of the jinn in disinformation, prevarication and maneuvering. Therefore, there is no way out from the tragedies, calamities and woes that the National Congress Party (NCP) regime brought to the Sudanese people other than overthrowing it by use of all available means. Moreover, on its demise comes the establishment of a citizenship state based on a new social contract characterised by the attributes of the modern civilized welfare state of good governance, rule of law, democracy and freedoms, justice and equality, decent living to all inhabitants irrespective of colour, creed, gender, ethnicity, age, mother tongue, cultural background, and political or regional affiliations.

The people of Sudan in Darfur said in relation to al-Bashir’s rhetoric “No and Never believe the Génocidaire leader of NIF regime, Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir and his War Criminal Bloodthirsty Deputy Ali Osman Mohammed Taha. The mouthpiece of the people of Darfur said through the activist organisation A decade in Darfur — ACT Alliance wrote saying: (Darfur is in misery, a decade on. Darfur has been out of the news recently, but the violence and suffering continue. In the last year, conditions in this vast region but remote corner of Sudan have deteriorated: there is little security in the camps, few humanitarian groups are allowed to operate in Darfur, and refugees cannot return home to devastated villages where they risk attack. Civilians continue to be targeted by aerial bombardment and ground troops and militia. Women in particular are targeted for sexual violence by a regime intent on destroying Darfur society. The joint UN/African Union peacekeeping mission is ill prepared and unable to guarantee security. Meanwhile, the international response has been timid because it fears the regime may jeopardise South Sudan’s independence, or strengthen its allegiance with Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran).

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]