Permanent constitution for Sudan requires the demise of Bashir regime
By Mahmoud A. Suleiman
This article comes against the backdrop of the decision of the Sudanese parliament to approve amendments in the 2005 Constitution and rejected by the components of the political opposition both civil and armed. It is noteworthy that on Tuesday, April 25, 2017, the Sudanese parliament passed a resolution of constitutional amendments on public freedoms, forcing even the other Muslim Brotherhood Movement (MBM) faction in Sudan the Popular Congress Party (PCP), known for its positions in support of the national dialogue, to announce its acquittal. Moreover, the amendments, in general, have retained the powers of the security apparatus –the notorious so-called National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), which the opposition rejects in all its forms because they have exceeded the proposals made by political forces that participated in the ‘National Dialogue-Wathba Dialogue’ calling for reducing these powers and limiting the functions of the (NISS) in collecting and analyzing information. Here, reality thinking is in short supply in the (NCP) regime household chaired by the Génocidaires Omer Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir to the detriment of the Sudanese nation Victim of the rule of fools and reckless daredevils.
The foregoing call for the demise of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) before consensus on the permanent constitution of Sudan did not come from a vacuum. It came because Omer al-Bashir’s assumption of power in Sudan does not foresee a democratic system which would represent a threat to Omar al-Bashir who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Thus, Bashir and his entourage work tirelessly Day and Night with all the strength for the continuation of the arbitrariness for the sake of lifelong rule for their genocidal Master of Grace, to avoid his arrest and trial in The Hague, as happened to his ilk other dictators such as Laurent Gbagbo of Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, Hussein Habre of Chad, Germaine Katanga of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), former Yugoslavia Serbian war criminals leaders indicted and tried by the ICC such as Slobodan Miloševi?, Radovan Karadzic and Charles Taylor the first African president to be prosecuted in an international court where he has been found guilty of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity for supporting rebels who carried out atrocities in Sierra Leone in return for “blood diamonds”. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/apr/26/charles-taylor-guilty-war-crimes
Thus, Omer al-Bashir’s whim for being in power of Sudan for life preoccupies his thinking day and night as a saviour from the predicaments that await him at the prison cells at The Hague in the Netherlands and causing him panicky all the time. So, Bashir finds some reassurance and consolation from his presence in power to rule what remained of the land and people of Sudan.
The amendments to the Constitution, in general, have retained the powers of the security apparatus, which the opposition rejects in all its forms because they have exceeded the proposals made by political forces that participated in the national dialogue calling for reducing these powers and limiting the functions of the security apparatus i(NISS) n collecting and analyzing information.
The drafting of a Permanent Constitution for Sudan requires a plethora of important groundbreaking moves among the most important of which is achieving just, comprehensive and lasting peace that would bringing the criminals to justice to face the predicaments of the atrocious crimes they have perpetrated in the rights of the people of the country since the ill-fated coming into the helm through military coup d’ état three decades ago. Among other crucial requirements is the unfettered return of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), refugees and immigrants to their original homes and Hawakeer in the regions to participate in the development process. This obviously includes removal of the foreigners imported by the (NCP) regime to occupy the land of the native Sudanese citizens with a view to bringing about a groundbreaking demographic change of the Darfur region which the regime considers the indigenous population as its archenemies and supporters of the rebel movements.
Omer al-Bashir’s dictated order of ‘permanent constitution is nothing more than his infamous Wathba dialogue that meant to distract the Sudanese people and the political opposition away from the basic issues that concern the citizen more. The Wathba Dialogue has contributed into extending the life of the ruling regime of the National Congress Party (NCP) for more than three years that have been added to the survival of Omar al-Bashir in the rule of Sudan for the lean 28 years l Noting that Omer Bashir’s never-ending national dialogue- aka Wathba Dialogue – started since its inception on January 27, 2014 so far. As it is known globally that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued two arrest warrants in 2009 and 2010, against the Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir for crimes against humanity, war crimes and the organization of “genocide and other atrocities” in the Darfur region, western Sudan. Moreover, the successive visits to countries outside Sudan by Omar al-Bashir became a symbol of criminality and fugitiveness from the international justice. With all the foregoing degree of criminality, Omer al-Bashir in view to his lack of insight and foresight, dares to call on the Sudanese people to participate in drafting a permanent constitution, bearing in mind that he and his entourage undermined Sudan’s constitution and overthrew the democratically elected government in which the National Islamic Front (NIF) as a political party was part of that coalition government in 1989 during the military coup led by Omar al-Bashir. The most important and difficult question to answer is as to how confident the people of Sudan are and assured that the ruling regime of the NCP would fulfil the promise that it will implement what is included in the permanent constitution to be drafted.
Questions continue to elicit reassuring answers, including how much the Sudanese political opposition parties and the armed movements have trusts on Omar al-Bashir’s commitment to covenants to fulfill what is agreed upon because previous experiences of the peace agreements were not met by the National Congress Party regime, led by Omar al-Bashir who is now unashamedly calling on the opposition forces to join his ranks for the Sudan’s New Permanent constitution draft agreement.
The US court has certified testimony from witnesses who said Sudan continued to provide support and shelter to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network, which carried out attacks on embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, which killed 200 people, including 12 Americans, in 1998. Sudan pays an astronomical sum of $ 7.3 billion to the relatives of the American victims and others. Thus, the existence of the ruling regime of the National Congress Party in Sudan is a disaster for both citizens today and future generations. But the strange thing is that the Sudan stopped attending the hearings and completely ignored the case after that. The judge expressed his astonishment at the emergence of Sudan after a month of the sentences, and his surprise at the request of Sudan to repeal these provisions! Oh God, it is not the time for gloating, because the amount of the money required to pay for the victims of the al-Qaeda bombings will be deducted from the livelihood of the oppressed Sudanese citizens who suffer the woes of civil wars and injustice.
On the other side and as Ayesha al-Basri said Omar al-Bashir’s successive visits to countries despite his indictment by the (ICC) for the crimes he has perpetrated against the Sudanese citizens in Darfur are a blow to the victims and contempt for justice.
The NCP regime and the Darfuri armed movements, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement of Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) along with the National Umma Party (NUP) in August 2016 signed the African Union brokered the Roadmap Agreement, a framework for a political process to end the war and achieve democratic reforms. As expected, the NCP regime created obstacles to reach to an agreed cessation of hostilities with a view to facilitating the delivery of humanitarian relief to Sudanese citizens in places of conflict and war zones. Instead, the regime as expected put forward its hidden agenda, the so-called the outcome of an internal dialogue process and called it the ’National Document’. The armed opposition, as expected, dismissed this document and said it never meant anything to them and they stuck to the need to implement the Roadmap which Khartoum categorically dismissed.
The (NCP) regime Security apparatus, the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) continue arbitrarily arresting opposition figures for expressing their opinion regarding the human rights violation that the entity commits against the legitimate rights of political opposition. The recent detention of Ibrahim al-Shiekh and his colleague Abubakr Yousif Babiker both from Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP) for their support for the Darfur Student who resigned from the University of Bakht aL Ruda which is a blatant violation of the Transitional Constitution of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA)/ Naivasha Agreement of the year 2005. Ironically, Omer al-Bashir has been tirelessly working to get rid of that constitution which addressed the freedoms and the democratic process for Sudan prior to the secession of the South Sudan State. His regime is now trying through his unelected parliament to convert the 2005 Constitution into a (NCP) preferred so-called ‘Permanent Constitution to suit his one party rule under dictatorship.
The NCP regime chaired by Omer al-Bashir is no stranger to outrageous long lasting damaging decisions that would contravene the peaceful living of the people of Sudan through revocation of covenants and reneging negotiated, agreed and signed peace agreements with the parties in dispute. Furthermore, Omer al-Bashir and his regime cannot be relied on to reach a just and sustainable peace that will stop the Janjaweed waged proxy warfare and restore security and stability for the people of Sudan in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains, the Blue Nile, Eastern Sudan, and all the other parts of the country affected by the ravages of wars.
No to NCP Constitution
The Sudanese people remain opposed to any constitution approved by the National Congress Party (NCP) parliament backed by semi-parties formed by the ruling regime led by Omar al-Bashir.
Before the ending of this article, it is necessary and our duty to give a voice of thanks and praise to Sheikh Yaqut and the people of his village in the reception and hospitality of more than 1200 students from Darfur at the University of Bakht al-Ruda who have made mass resignations from the University for the treatment of racism by the University Administration. Moreover, the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) of the Government of the National Congress Party (NCP) denied their entry to the National Capital of Sudan Khartoum. The Security elements passed threats to Sheikh Yaqut and the people of the Village for hosting the students. However, Sheikh Yaqut and the citizens of his village went ahead with the hospitality of the students, despite the threat from the security services. By doing so, they presented a rare form of devotion for patriotism and humanity. In conclusion, we have to chant, saying Long Live the struggle of the Sudanese people and Long Live the sincerity of Sheikh Yaqut and the struggles of the people of the village of Sheikh Yaqut!
There remains an important question that waits for an answer as to how we trust and be certain that those who had previously undermined the Constitution of Sudan after their coup against a democratic government would come up with a Permanent Constitution for Sudan? Here as if we were expecting the wolf and the hyena to take care of our goats and sheep or out of the frying pan into the fire!
Winona LaDuke the American environmentalist, economist, and writer, known for her work on tribal land claims and preservation, as well as sustainable development has been quoted as saying: (Mother Earth needs us to keep our covenant. We will do this in courts, we will do this on our radio station, and we will commit to our descendants to work hard to protect this land and water for them. Whether you have feet, wings, fins, or roots, we are all in it together).
Barbara Levy Boxer the American politician who served as a United States Senator from California 1993 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives 1983 to 1993 has been quoted as saying: (We know no document is perfect, but when we amend the Constitution, it would be to expand rights, not to take away rights from decent, loyal Americans. This great Constitution of ours should never be used to make a group of Americans permanent second-class citizens. )
Dr Mahmoud A. Suleiman is an author, columnist and a blogger. His blog is http://thussudan.wordpress.com/