Sudanese crisis, its manifestations and the public response
By Mahmoud A. Suleiman
This article comes against the backdrop of accelerated important political events in a row all have direct effect on the livelihood and security of the people of Sudan along with repercussions on the local, regional and international context, and direct impact on the people in the war zones. Therefore, the reader will find several different topics, but they related to each other are included in this article. This obviously seems Contrary to the tradition that the focus of an article is one topical subject. I hope that readers have emulated some excuse. Here I beseech particular excuse from my readers. Moreover, the reader will find some digressions to delve into some relevant historical facts pertinent to the theme of the article. The article briefly points to the Ruling National Congress party (NCP) regime’s dissolving the personal Sudanese citizen identity to adopt a single identity of Arabism- Islamist identity that would not unite all the people of Sudan with their diverse denominations. The Sudanese would like to remain on the identity of citizenship, nothing else.
From this point, we start and find out the important contents of the article and the topics in the political arena now. They try addressing the issues of concern to the Sudanese citizen. They include among others the Sudan Call Document and its importance in the unification of the components of the Sudanese political opposition, both civil and armed rebels and the frantic responses of the ruling NCP regime by arbitrarily arresting the opposition leaders who participated in drafting and signing the document after their return to Khartoum. The article also addressed the visit of the members in the (NIF) regime to Washington D.C. to attend the US National Prayer Breakfast, which commemorated the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Last and not least, the article highlighted the diversity of the methods and political tools the people of Sudan use to bring about the ‘Long-awaited’ regime Change by all the available means. This time through the ‘Leave/Get-Out Campaign’ Arabic Arhal, which started nationwide, making the political atmosphere similar to the last days of the May 25 regime led by General Jaafer Muhammad al-Nimeiri.
- Sudan Call Document baffled the NCP regime to direct the ire at the Signatories
- Sudan Call Document aroused the Ire of the NCP regime to the Core sensing defeat and licking its wounds
- Sudan Call Declaration baffled the NCP plans for plotting against the united Opposition
Sudan Call is a Political Document Declared by the united Sudanese political opposition, civilian and armed, on the establishment of a State of citizenship, rule of law, good governance and Democracy. The signatories inked the historic document on 3 December 2014 in the Ethiopian Capital Addis Ababa. The signing of the Sudan Call marked a new era and confused the malicious intrigues of the (NCP) regime to keep dividing the opposition. Moreover, the regime failed abjectly to refute the plausibility of the contents of the document. In return for its full logical inability to respond to the document, the (NISS) arbitrarily arrested the opposition leaders who participated in the issuance of Sudan Call and returned to Khartoum as a punishment for them.
To their bad luck and failure in every step they take, the regime of the (NCP) has received condemnation and denunciation from human rights organisations and political leaders in the world and as well as denunciation campaigns in the Social Media, which went viral. Thus, the conspiracy they initiated returned to them as a boomerang or a deadly venomous poison. The one who digs a pit for others in malice, he/sh would fall in it; as the popular proverb goes!
The Sudanese opposition united under the umbrella of the Sudan Call Document, began the project for ousting President Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir’s National Congress Party (NCP) regime. The opposition came out defiant and stronger after an era of oppression locked up in rooms, closed, and subjected to absurd wars for a period exceeding more than two decades. The both political and armed opposition launched a campaign to collect signatures for boycotting of the general elections scheduled for April 13 2015.The Sudan call includes the National Umma Party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – North, the two factions of the Sudan Liberation Movements, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), and the Alliance of National Consensus Forces (NCF) and the forces of civil society organizations. Thus, the Sudan Call Document brought together Sudanese political and armed opposition groups together for the first time.
The Political atmosphere today in the Sudanese is like the last days of the rule of former President Jaafer Mohammed al-Nimeiri. Al-Nimeiri who was under tense political pressure paid an official visit to America, but the Sudanese people overthrew his regime while in Washington D.C and he has not been able to return and was forced to resort for asylum to Cairo in the neighbouring Egypt. The Sudanese people’s uprising in 1985 marked an end to the May 25 ‘Revolution’ and the demise to the regime of the so-called Sudanese Socialist Union. At the time, the General Nimeiri regime was flopping unconsciously between the extreme left Marxist socialism and the laws of the so-called September Islamic Sharia, the infamous “September Laws”. The latter laws belonged to the ideological doctrine of the Muslim Brotherhood Movement (MBM) led by the former Islamism godfather, Dr. Hassan Abdalla al-Turabi , who was ousted by his putschist pupils in the so-called Haggle (Arabic Mufasala) in 1999. They introduced The laws that amputated the limbs of the impoverished Sudanese people in the name of Islamic religion and the religion claims innocence like the innocence of the wolf from the blood of the Prophet Joseph son of Prophet Jacob peace be upon them. It could be argued and said: (How today looks like yesterday) ! In other words, these days are like or comparable to days gone-by! However, it is hard for the Sudanese people to say to the NCP elements: (Let bygones be bygones!). Similarly, the Sudanese street is saying to Omer al-Bashir (Go and Go Bashir! Why do not you leave? The invited – visit of the Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti and the Assistant to the President Ibrahim Ghandour to the US to attend the National Prayer Breakfast while they represent the genocidal criminal, the fugitive from the international justice, Omer Hassan Ahmed al—Bashir is a scandalous scar in the American public conscience. The International Criminal Court (ICC) indicted President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan in 2009 for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide in the Western region of Darfur. The United Nations says that the governments of Sudan forces have killed as many as 300,000 people in non-Arab rebel tribes. The Fellowship Foundation organized the National Prayer Breakfast on behalf of U.S to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, which is coming in 2015.
“Human rights activists said that they were deeply alarmed by reports that two alleged perpetrators of genocide in Sudan, Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti and the presidential assistant Dr. Ibrahim Ghandour of the ruling National Congress Party, have been invited to the National Prayer Breakfast. Quite simply, these officials should not have been invited to attend an event held in the name of the U.S. Congress, which has passed legislation denouncing the Sudanese government for acts of genocide and crimes against humanity. This breakfast, an occasion where the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide will be recognized, should be a moment to ensure that the words `Never Again!’ have genuine meaning. The Human rights activists called upon all participants at the National Prayer Breakfast, including the President of the United States, to publicly and forcefully denounce the continuing human rights crimes being carried out in Sudan by the government of Omar al-Bashir, especially the atrocities taking place on a nearly daily basis in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan.” The National Islamic Front (NIF) NIF, after which ruins following the famous Islamists haggle came the current National Congress Party (NCP) harboured and sheltered Osama bin Laden in their bulwark for several years, until he created his al-Qaeda Islamic Jihadists organization which was considered responsible for the bombing of the Twin Towers building of the World Trade Center and causing 911 disaster, on the morning of 11 September 2001,in Manhattan, New York. The two invitees are founding members of the genocidal regime of the National Congress Party (NCP) led by the putschist Génocidaire Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir who could have attended the National Prayer Breakfast had it not for his fear of getting apprehended by the (ICC) for being a campaign fugitive from the international justice!
Instead of building bridges between the Sudanese citizens of different religious faiths, the (NCP) affiliated clerics are allowed to preach hatred and inciting sedition which resulted into burning of House of worship of non-Muslim citizens and especially Christians. Moreover, the cold-blooded murder of the American Diplomat in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, John Granville and his Sudanese driver were shot dead by gunmen in the New Year’s Eve of January 1, 2008. Ironically, those who were implicated in that horrible murder and arrested managed to (Jailbreak) and escape from the maximum security Kober Prison. Some of the assailants had allegedly thought to have joined the radical Harakat al-Shabab al-Mujahideen or the Somali Shabaab group.
Despite all that happening, against the odds the “Go, Leave and Get Out” campaign the Sudanese people adopt deserves to lead to change which the homeland of Sudan aspires.
The methods of the struggle of the Opposition of the Sudanese people against the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) regime varied so much so that it confused Omar al-Bashir’s accounts. He began flopping and floundering in order to survive in the face of the wrath of the people who headed for overthrowing the regime of Omer al-Bashir as they did to dictatorships similar to Omar al-Bashir’s regime before with the curse of the wretched and the oppressed. The trailed curses and prayers called for destruction in this world and the hereafter.
The slogan of (Arhal), meaning leave/ Get-Out in Arabic, to al-Bashir coupled with the curses of the hungry, the oppressed, the souls of the victims of genocide, prisoners of conscience, the sick deprived of basic healthcare, the children deprived of basic education and the citizens forcibly displaced from their homes by the absurd civil wars in Darfur seem well fitted and expected to bring about change for better living conditions.
The political charter dubbed Sudan Call was signed in the Ethiopian Capital, Addis Ababa in December 2014. The signatories included the rebel alliance Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) and the opposition umbrella, National Consensus Forces (NCF) chaired by Mr. Farouq Abu Eissa and the National Umma Party (NUP) led by Sayed Sadiq al-Mahdi, the Federation of the Civil Society Organisations led by Dr. Amin Mekki Medani , Dr. Farah Ibrahim Mohamed AL agar and others.
Sudan Call agreement is unprecedented because it is the only guarantor for the continuation of the unity of Sudan. This is more pertinent under the insistence of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) regime’s systematic plans to tear the country apart. Moreover, Sudan Call is the only hope for freedom, unity, sustainable peace and the returns of the rights to the oppressed. Sudan call managed to unite the Sudanese opposition, both peaceful and armed in one pot for the first time.
Elections in April 2015, which the regime insists on having it held for the extension of the rule of the individual – Omar al-Bashir – and in order to install a totalitarian and especially after tearing the Interim Constitution of the Sudan through the so-called amendments that have been devoted to the dominance of the individual to the state. It seems that the (NCP) regime is looking for legitimacy with the knowledge that it never had any legitimacy; neither before and nor after the rigged elections in advance, similar to that took place in the 2010 elections.
The (NCP) regime possesses the public money, the media, the military might and the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) for use alone in its planned alleged elections. And the irony of the fact that the system has members from parties loyal to him to run as candidates with Omar al-Bashir to the post of President of the Republic. According to the Interim Constitution of the Sudan in 2005, no person shall assume the presidency for more than two patrols and Omar al-Bashir is not qualified to be a candidate for elections in 2015 as exhausted his chances for election by the Constitution.
It seems that the amendments of the Constitution were for the purpose of the legalization for Omar al-Bashir to run for election in April 2015 whether the people of Sudan -like-it-or-not. On the other hand, the issue of the nomination of President al-Bashir settled on constitutional grounds. The Constitution acknowledged that the presidential term to two only according to the provisions of Article 57 of the Interim Constitution of 2005, which states «be for the president’s term of five years starting from the day he took office, and may be re-elected only for a second term»). Accordingly, any call for re-nomination of al-Bashir in 2015 elections is in violation of the2005 Constitution. The 2005 Transitional Constitution was for the purposes of the Naivasha Peace Agreement – the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
In the path of the National Islamic Front (NIF) with its various pre- and post-titles-Muslim Brotherhood Movement (MBM), Islamic Charter Front (ICF), National Salvation Revolution (NSR), National Congress Party (NCP) and Popular Congress Party (PCP) there is no significant honourable or a meaningful history mentioned contributed by the NIF for the struggle of the people of Sudan. The NIF brought about atrocious crimes of murder, suffering, displacement and the endless senseless civil wars.
Nothing remains in the current circumstances for the Sudanese people in resolving the problems of their country, but peaceful mass popular uprising protected by the forces of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) to overthrow the one-party authoritarian rule of the (NCP) regime led by the genocidal criminal fugitive from the international justice. Moreover, political analysts say that the Omar al-Bashir has only one option, which is departure to go to the point of no return; today before tomorrow because the sun had set. Furthermore, that the his so-called ‘Crucial Summer’ claim to end the Rebellion in Sudan by his corrupt regime’s security apparatus and the Janjaweed militia, Rapid Support Force (RSF) has become a one lie of the lies of Omer, the liar. The people of Sudan are out for uprooting the NCP establishment, God willing.
Arbitrary arrest and incommunicado (without means of communication) detentions of Dr. Amin Mekki Medani, Mr. Farouq Abu Eissa, and Dr. Farah Ibrahim Mohamed AL agar continues in Sudan under the regime of the (NCP). The United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) needs responding stronger and effectively to the gravity of the human rights situation in Sudan under the (NCP) regime. Moreover, it is deplorable that the United States of America’s National Prayer Breakfast (AKA Presidential Prayer Breakfast) an annual event hosted by members of the United States Congress and organized on their behalf by The Fellowship Foundation has invited the genocidal regime of Sudan officials to attend on February 2015. The President of the United States, Barack Obama may attend the event as the presidents before him always did attend. This is incident is blatant example of political double standard of the international community while atrocious crimes are perpetrated by the regime of the NCP on daily basis in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan. In today’s world what matters are the Interests regardless of the human rights violations. The phrase “double standard” is just a polite, politically correct statement for the right word of hypocrisy. According to Freedom House- independent monitoring organization dedicated to spreading freedom and democracy in the world reported that Sudan was among the worst countries in the world in terms of securing political rights and civil liberties of its people.
Tragedies and reprehensible crimes continue unabatedly. News media in Sudan reported that the militias of the Government of Sudan led by Omar al-Bashir , the rapid support forces(RSF) burnt an 8-year old child named Musaab Issa Mahjoub, using the method of the Islamic state in Iraq and Syria –(ISIS) brutality), killed him in Hjeer Tongo village in North Darfur State, on February 4, 2015.
In the Nuba Mountains heinous crimes committed by the government of Omar al-Bashir on a daily basis with indiscriminate shelling continues and usually by throwing barrels of explosives from the Russian Antonov planes without distinguishing between civilians and the rebel resistance forces; acts that constitute war crime and genocide Thus, . Aerial bombardment of the Sudanese government aviation forced (3000) of civilians to flee from the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile into the unknown, leaving their homes in front of the eyes of the international community, which receives the (NCP) foreign minister in Washington on the occasion to remember the victims of the Armenian genocide.
We cannot be able to draw any parallel between Sudan’s longtime genocidal dictator Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir with his brutality, torture and presiding over military jurisdiction with any other regime as he exceeded all tyrants who passed on Sudan before him in brutality, lack of compassion and mercy.
The prospects for peace in Sudan steadily dwindle because of the intransigence of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) regime headed by Omar al-Bashir, who insists on continuing president for life to avoid arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the heinous crimes he committed in Darfur. Moreover, he continued to commit crimes without remorse, violating human rights and waging war in other regions. Thus, the chances for peace diminished. The regime insists on the survival of Omar al-Bashir in power and the extension of his term of office as president in the name of elections in April 2015, which the Sudanese political opposition rejected to participate or recognise. Moreover, the Sudanese people will not give up their demands for freedom and comprehensive peace and the liquidation of the one-party system. The (NCP) regime is unwilling and unable to provide any serious launch leading to a comprehensive sustainable peace that would to stop the war and allow freedoms.
Comprehensive peace is the strategic choice of the components of the opposition, both peaceful and the armed. Nevertheless, it is clear that the so-called National Salvation Revolution regime has nothing to offer. and the way in front of our people of Sudan, but the confronting the arrogance of the regime as a united front to achieve the legitimate demands of democracy by all the available means.
The Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) leaders called on all members and masses of the(SRF) in all cities and villages of Sudan to participate in the “Leave Campaign” to boycott the elections scheduled by the (NCP) regime for April 2015. Moreover, the campaign will continue until the overthrow of the regime by peaceful popular uprising.” Head of the movement said, “The NCP regime is deformed beyond repair and is not serious about achieving peace, so negotiating or signing a peace deal with it just absurd work that only helps prolonging the suffering of the Sudanese people. Moreover, another leader of the Sudanese opposition “said the regime has lost all chances of survival and we must unite our ranks and all forces for a new system.” The European Union (EU) said that Omar al-Bashir, who came to power in a military coup in 1989 and won the 2010 elections for the ruling Sudan, his (NCP) regime does not live up to international standards. As for the NCP Presidential Assistant Ghandour, he went on prevaricating and avoid coming to the point ‘beating around the bush’. He said that there is need for an open unconditional dialogue with the political forces and with the armed rebels to return to the negotiating table! Ghandour added that the (NCP) looks at the issues of Sudan holistically aimed at preserving the unity of the country and achieving the renaissance despite the conspiracies hatched to dismantle the unity. He said in conclusion that his regime remains adherent to the rule of the Islamic orientation for the country.
The people of Sudan decided they should no longer live in perpetual poverty and oppression. They started saying gone are the days of betrayal by vacuous hypocritical slogans of the NCP regime in the name of the Islamic religion who recites supplications of curse on their lies and injustice of their autocratic rule that is miles away from any religious belief let alone Islam.
The people of Sudan joined their ranks in the face of the tyranny of the beleaguered NCP Islamism regime and said effectively paraphrasing and quoting the French Politician, former President and Military General Charles de Gaulle: “We came to the conclusion that politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians”! Furthermore, the Sudanese people also said:” Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks! “as said by the British, Middle-distance runner who won the 1924 Olympic Gold Medal in Paris Doug Larson.
The African public chanting the slogans of “Cry my beloved African Continent, Cry our Homeland Sudan, cry the gone our visionary leaders”! The forefathers of Africa include Jomo Kenyatta the founding father of the Kenyan nation Julius Kambarage Nyerere of Tanzania, and previously Tanganyika , Jamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, John Garang of the former United Sudan, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and student leader anti-apartheid activist in South Africa, Steve Biko, just to name a few.
In light of this Political Climate full of anger and enthusiasm to change the bad situation in the Sudan, the Sudanese people’s current political plans include, among many others, boycotting and resisting the upcoming elections. Moreover, they decided escalating the struggle and the pursuit of the criminals in the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) regime, overthrows them, and throws them into the dustbin of the history.
If you know, your enemy and you know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. By Sun Tzu, the Chinese military general, strategist, and philosopher who lived in the spring and Autumn Period of ancient China. Sun Tzu quotes from the book the art of war
Dr. Mahmoud A. Suleiman is an author, columnist and a blogger. His blog is http://thussudan.wordpress.com/