Here are the thoughts of Sudanese bloggers so far in reaction to the ICC’s arrest warrant for our lovely dictator. First, let’s check what Nesrine at Cif thinks of this:
Toothless and badly-timed as the indictment of Sudan’s president may be, morally we cannot afford not to support it.
… The timing was unfortunate. Many in the Arab world are still reeling from the recent incursion into Gaza and governments are continuing to capitalise on anti-western sentiment. The ostensible hypocrisy of targeting Bashir when apparently Israel and the west are impune renders his martyrdom on the altar of international double standards convenient for Arab or African heads of state living in their own glass houses.
Secondly, we have Sudanese Optimist:
Every media outlet is giving a voice to a plethora of self appointed political pundits, common-sense-loathing activists, and confused citizens of the earth, all trying to make sense of the International Criminal Court’s issuance of a warrant for the arrest of Omar Al-Bashir. However, the one voice that seems to have been muffled by the pandemonium surrounding the issue is that of the Sudanese citizen. I ask: what about me Luis Ocamp
… the pragmatist in me is questioning the effectiveness of the ICC’s decision, and the extent of ‘justice’ it will provide for the victims of the Darfur conflict. It could be too early for the man on the street to speculate, but I sincerely hope that Luis Ocampo and the ICC have a follow-up plan to assuage the commotion caused by the indictment of a sitting head of state. Does the ICC consider this the end result, or a starting point in the quest of peace and justice in Sudan? This question remains unanswered.
Now, let’s move over to see what AK has to say.
The first thing that I noticed was the fact that the Court only charged him on two of three accusations, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The prosecutor did not get his third request for the crime of genocide. This is very telling. Both the first two crimes can be very easily proven and linked back to Al-Bashir, however, the third accusation (of genocide) cannot be as easily proven or linked back to the President.
… Also, the ‘Save Darfur‘ crowd in the United States cannot be happier. In fact, they are using this opportunity to raise funds, as if this arrest warrant is all due to their so-called “advocacy.” This is a snapshot of their website’s home page taken after the arrest warrant was issued.
Along with most Sudanese I know, I am very critical of Save Darfur (et al.). They have been the strongest proponents of intervention in Sudan, something which will undoubtably exacerbate the situation for the worse. But I’ll leave that for a later time.
… Here is a clip of the scenes from Khartoum today:
AK also posted this video of Sudanese ICC supporters and Bashir supporters clashing in NYC.
At about 1:30 in the clip, you can see the clashes between the Bashir and ICC supporters.
And now we have Mimz with her thoughts.
I am not a big fan of El-Bashir, in fact I despise the man (would be an understatement) for what he has been putting our country and our people through for the past god knows how long. But the ICC just could not delay this decision, which we all knew was coming, and felt the need to make it today and ignore the fact that the first democratic elections in more than twenty years are expected this year.
Finally we have Path2Hope.
Now the warrant has been issued and exactly what this means for Sudan I do not know. But what I do know is that expelling the activities of 10 of the aid agencies does not help either. Hasn’t the average Sudanese suffered enough? Now that these agencies can no longer do their work - who will step in and fill the gap? I am so angry at not only this reaction in Sudan but by the idiotic ruling of the ICC in the first place.
On a related note, here are Rob Crilly’s latest Twitter updates directly from Darfur where he is right now. They ain’t that pretty.
# NGO staff held at gunpoint in Nyala on way to airport to leave. They were stopped by national security, very people kicking em out 7:07 AM Mar 5th from web
# Tired, smelly. Out of anti-perspirant. Word is Bashir coming here on Sunday but I need a drink 8:18 AM Mar 5th from web
# aid workers now stuck in Khartoum. Must wait for exit visas - the final irony 9:07 AM Mar 5th from web
# three aid vehicles burned in Khartoum last nightabout 18 hours ago from web
# Unamid staff now being allowed out of base to go home after 48hr lockdown. All calm in El Fasher about 19 hours ago from web
# three aid vehicles burned in Khartoum last nightabout 18 hours ago from web
# Aid workers staying in khartoum for now as negotiations continue. No-one holding much hope. about 15 hours ago from txt
Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but chuckle and wonder to myself “WTF?” after receiving the following email from Save Darfur.
Urgent: Bashir retaliates and expels aid groups
Oh, really? He expelled them? Nooo, you’ve got to be kidding me. OMG, that’s like sooo impossible. Really? Oh, that’s terrible.
Gosh, no but seriously, like, what the hell did you expect beloved Save Darfur? That Bashir was just going to sit back and relax? Do nothing?
An arrest warrant has been issued. Great, now what? Can you enforce it?
On Wednesday, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President al-Bashir. In response, Bashir has launched a crackdown on humanitarian aid organizations, reportedly ordering a dozen major aid operations to leave Sudan. The United States must lead an urgent, intense and sustained diplomatic push to ensure the continued flow of humanitarian aid and end the genocide in Darfur.
Yeah, I’d love to see that, I really do, but something tells me the United States is too busy fixing its economy. I do hope I’m wrong though.
Like I said, pursuing justice is wonderful, but pursuing peace and stability first and foremost is more important. Savo Heleta, author of “Not My Turn to Die: Memoirs of a Broken Childhood in Bosnia” states it nicely.
Justice is very important for the victims, post-conflict reconciliation, and the future of Darfur and Sudan. However, the aim of the international community should be to first bring peace to Darfur and then punish the perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Precisely.
SudaneseThinker
SudaneseThinker
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hey,
a bit delayed but here’s my take on the ground…. gathered thoughts from ppl in Khartoum and how people are reacting to this event.
http://www.bobbity.blogspot.com
I’m not sure if someone mentioned this before or not, but the ICC is actually doing al-Bashir a favor by increasing his popularity.
Throughout the past 20 years, al-Bashir was never popular outside the circle of the NCP. His supporters were only those people inside the circle of the NCP. But look now, with this arrest warrant and the majority of the Sudanese people thinking that this is a conspiracy, al-Bashir is having a lot of people outside the circle of the NCP by his side, people that he doesn’t give two cents about, if I may add. His opponents, except Hasan al-Turabi and the JEM of course, are by his side during this time because they also think that this is a conspiracy, and they don’t want the international community to interfere with Sudan’s internal affairs.
I always thought that the timing of this arrest warrant is wrong. Now it’s issued, and its sole purpose is putting pressure on al-Bashir to stay away from the big presidential elections that are supposed to take place this year. I don’t think al-Bashir will stay away from the presidential elections, and with the popularity he is getting because of this arrest warrant, al-Bashir is actually going to win the elections if he runs for them
Had there been no arrest warrant issued, al-Bashir would have never been able to win the elections. But with the arrest warrant, the popularity he is getting because of it, and the more people he’s getting by his side now, he’s definitely winning the elections.
What elections? Does that mean al-Bashir is legitimate?
Wake up brothers and sisters, this man will never accept the freedom of speech.
The man is a criminal and he must face justice.
Amjad, I fully agree with you!
al-Bashir will now only gain popularity in Sudan. His propaganda machine will portray him as an anti-colonialist hero who suffers for his people….
Prior to the warrant, there was no way al-Bashir and his party could win the elections. Now, they may, if there are elections at all this year.
“al-Bashir will now only gain popularity in Sudan. His propaganda machine will portray him as an anti-colonialist hero who suffers for his people”
exactly man .. i wish you saw his speech this morning on TV .. lol you’d laugh your ass out, suddenly he’s talking about USA injustice toward native americans in the past and about the atlantic slave trade, he’s trying everything lol .. as if we so-called arabs never enslaved africans .. im findin this entertaining day after day … can’t wait for Salah Gosh and the other “smart” Kizan to dumb his rotten ass
Damanga supports the warrant:
“As concerned leaders of Darfuri and Sudanese diaspora organizations and communities, we would like to express our gratitude to the United Nations Security Council for authorizing and continuing to allow the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate crimes in Darfur”
http://www.damanga.org/newsroom/press_releases/2009/Darfuri%20letter%20030409.html
For the Darfurians this is a signal that the world has not forgotten about them. For everybody else it is a signal that the UN are finally going after Arab dictators too.
“international double standards”
A Zionist position, namely mine:
If Bashir’s major crime was the killing of some 1300 Darfurians, most of whom terrorists, after being attacked by Darfurians for several years, I would be totally and utterly against charging him with war crimes.
But in reality the Darfurians are not terrorists and do not support terrorism, did not overwhelmingly vote for war, did not attack the Arabs in the Sudan, and did not lose some 1300 people but hundreds of thousands. And that should make a difference. Being Jewish cannot be as bad as that. (Except maybe in the Guardian…)
Hi Drima
Have done a bit of my own reading on the matter. In a nutshell, nobody’s going to arrest Bashir simply because most of the countries he deals with, and even some who don’t (read: USA) have not signed up to the ICC’s Rome Statute. Even regarding those that have, there is no sanction against those nations who refuse to execute an arrest warrant. It all boils down to political will on the part of the host nation, and those nations which would gladly arrest him are the same nations which probably wouldn’t let the bugger in in the first place.
My heart goes out to all Sudanese who have had to put up with Bashir’s butchery for the past god knows how long, but I fear this will only strengthen his hand and lead to instability not just in Darfur, but also the restive South. Do you see a backlash in the South coming, Drima?
Come on - Bashir was going to cause havoc anyway. This guy is a three time felon - South Sudan, Nuba, and Darfur - it was only a matter of time before ruthlessly went after Nubians and Bejas of the East.
He is responsible for over 4 million deaths. I mean allowing Hitler to stay in power would have been better for Europe right.
The guy is responsible for invasions in Central Africa, Somalia, Eritriea, Ethiopia, Chad, Kenya, Uganda, and tried to destabilize Egypt. He has ties to great countries like Iran, Syria, China, and North Korea.
Salaam
Darfur is a hot issue every one talks about it , some do say the truth and the majority don’t , they actually keep publicizing the issue as if they know it all and no one ells do .
Will am a Sudanese person who lived out and never visited Sudan for a long time ,and since am a Sudanese I was flowing this issue and educating my self about it from the media ( the western media that is) I actually exposed my self to it and I believed it all , and I did not like it .
Will let me tell you this after a long time now am back in Sudan and honestly I though I was going to find war in the street killing every where government Jan jawed chasing every one all over , isn’t that what the western media was feeding all of us? Exactly will I visited Darfur Alfashir, Aljenina, and Neyala and I actually met the governor of Darfur personally and I have seen nothing of what the western media was talking about ! it was all Lie’s .. will not all of it.
I forgot to tell you that I wanted to come back to Sudan and actually help my people and try with the others to end there suffering and I was determent but the lies transformed me changed me and I really did ask my self why do the western media will do such a thing why and I did not have to think far , the same media that publicized the WMD of IRAQ and justified Bush’s WAR it’s the same media that talking about Darfur and in IRAQ it was WMD and oil and in Darfur its oil and
Menrals such as Uranum and to get it many more will die.
After all guys if we did not act now and stop these lie’s another 1000000 people will die in sudn like IRAQ
http://blueus.wordpress.com/
hey.
i’m doing an english project on sudan and i was wondering if someone could help me,
how does someone escape sudan? or does your president let you leave the country?
help would be greatly appreciated.
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