Darfur

Yes, take that, in your face you Evil Zionists! What am I talking about you ask? Here’s what.

Darfur native, Ismail Ahmed Ismail won Sudan a silver medal during the recent lovely Olympic games held in the human rights respecting nation of China. Meanwhile, Israel only won one bronze medal.

Ahaha, losers! We win!

Okay, so that’s the first smack. The second smack is a little more complicated.

Having a Darfur native participate in the Olympic games held in “genocide-supporting” China weakens the notion that Darfur is witnessing mass atrocities, which is nothing but a dirty lie being circulated by the Evil Zionist CrUSAders.

Bam! Second smack!

On a more serious note though, I’d like to congratulate Ismail on this achievement. He surely had to endure a lot.

Ismail’s family is from western Darfur, but like many others, they migrated from the impoverished region to Khartoum before he was born.

… Ismail’s family couldn’t be immediately reached for comment. But the 23-year-old runner has not had it easy.

Hanadi Ismail, a reporter and family friend, said he and his five brothers and sisters grew up in the poor Khartoum neighborhood of Hajj Youssef.

Ismail’s wife gave birth to their son just 42 days ago, but has yet to name him because they cannot afford the naming ceremony.

Can’t afford the naming ceremony? WTF?

Dear beloved Sudanese government, for once, stop being so damn corrupted and give the poor guy a well-deserved award for heaven’s sake.

Yeah, surprise, surprise. Oooo, how shocking.

Well, no, not really. It’s a very expected stance. Sudan is siding with Russia over this crisis, but that’s not the hilarious part. The hilarious part which made me laugh really hard is the one I put in bold.

August 15, 2008 (KHARTOUM) –The Sudanese National Assembly lent its support Moscow in its clash with Georgia over the border region of South Ossetia.

The Sudanese legislative body described the Russian response as “legitimate” and that Moscow had “the right to defend its citizens”.

Sudan also condemned the “crimes committed by Georgian forces against innocent citizens”.

“The genocide was committed in its worst forms and did not spare even the elders or children or sick or women” the foreign relations committee said in a statement.

Sudan and Russia enjoy good relations particularly in terms of military cooperation. Moscow along with Beijing blocked tough UN Security Council (UNSC) measures against Khartoum over the Darfur conflict.

Boy, oh boy, the pot calling the kettle black. This is such priceless entertainment.

I love it!

Really? Where?

*Yawn*

I though I’d share this comment I made over at AfricanLoft so that you guys can get a better understanding of my stance on the ICC. I’m replying to BRE, a fellow African blogger whom I’d like to thank for his kind and encouraging support. You can see the exchange I had with him over here.

Believe me BRE, I hate the bastard more than you do. I still remember the “lovely” old days in Khartoum and I know well the pain family members had to go through under this regime, but I think you’re being short-sighted.

I don’t have much faith in the UN or the ICC like you do. Plus, keep in mind that we’ve got beloved Russia and China on the UN Security Council.

However, let’s say you’re right, and Bashir does indeed go down. Let’s just consider that the UN and the ICC finally get enough balls to actually *do* things and *enact* them. What happens next? Are we even prepared for that? Just look at Darfur’s rebels. They’re so divided, it’s frustrating and sometimes even utterly pathetic that it makes me sad. Look at the tensions within the SPLM. With a power vacuum and people emboldened, you can easily have a very nasty situation.

I liked how pressure was being applied systematically when the Bush administration’s focus was adequate and Sudan’s hero, John Garang was still alive. There was a clear long term agenda, and more importantly it was getting implemented step by step. It wasn’t the kind of thing that risked chaos.

“You’re looking at a regime change in Khartoum Dude, or at least a change of the head-of-state.”

No BRE, I disagree. What we’re seeing now is a clumsy strategy that’s very risky and can cause huge potential chaos. Think Somalia, but on a larger scale. Regime change entails a plan or at least a good idea on how a new entity replaces the old one. Once all these people staunchly backing the ICC tell me of how the replacement is going to happen relatively “smoothly” without a Somalia-like scenario, I might be willing to change my mind. Until then, me not convinced.

Yup, me not convinced, but… I’m all ears. Thoughts?

Yes, Sudan’s internet generation is alive and well on Facebook, not so much the blogosphere anymore.

Here’s my GV roundup.

The Facebook group is called “معا ضد المحكمة الجنائية الدولية . فلنتحد لنصرة الرئيس عمر البشير” (translated, “Together Against the ICC. Let’s Unite for President Omar al-Bashir’s Victory”) and I honestly don’t know whether to laugh or cry. The only thing that gave me some decent hope was the quality of rational debate amongst a sizeable minority of group members. As for the others, I don’t even know where to start, but it was the same, old, typical, ridiculous garbage. Reactionary nationalism. Jewish conspiracy theories. Rejecting responsibility by pointing to Bush, Bush and more Bush, when the topic is Darfur. Turabi-loving Islamists. You name it.

My favorite argument, one which I thought to be extremely unique, was someone basically arguing that the ICC’s decision is based on secular laws and not God’s laws, therefore it’s haram (sinful) to support the ICC in any way.

Kudos to the group’s creator though for keeping the group open to all kinds of diverse opinions even retarded ones or ones he didn’t agree with. I’ll be posting quotes from Sudanese blogs, the Facebook group (and other Facebook groups I can find) soon for a roundup post at Global Voices. But for now, the two pictures sum up the extremes of Sudanese opinion on the matter rather well.

Guess which picture is my favorite?

Good luck Mr. Darfur Mediator. You’re going to need it.

The new peace envoy is expected to be based in Khartoum something the US said “will facilitate continual interaction with all parties”.

“We call on all parties and regional actors to fully cooperate with Mr. Bassole, cease hostilities, and engage without condition in efforts to achieve a lasting peace for Darfur” the State Department said.

The prospects for a quick return to the negotiation table in Darfur appear slim, observers say particularly after an attack by the Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) on the Sudanese capital.

Khartoum said it will not negotiate with JEM and urged the world to designate it as a terrorist organization.

Man, where do I start? How about, that last hilarious sentence? Ah, never mind.

Yes, JEM is a stupid “terrorist” organization. On top of that, we have a regime that has no proper respect for agreements. Plus, we also have someone by the name of Abdul Wahid Al-Nur heading his Darfur rebel faction from the comfort of his residence in Paris and claiming that the only way forward is to eradicate the current government.

Thank you Dick Cheney, Rumsfailed, Iran and Saudi Arab for ruining Iraq and diverting the Bush administration’s attention away from Sudan. Oh and congratulations dear President Omar al-Bashir and head of Sudanese Intelligence, Salah Gosh for managing to ease America’s pressure on you by handing out the CIA some valuable anti-terrorism candy and helping it heavily by planting spys in Iraq and Somalia. Nicely played guys, nicely played.

Yeah, seriously Mr. Darfur Mediator GOOD luck, you’re really going to need it!

An interesting a piece by SLM’s head Abdul Wahid Al-Nur, published at the Wall Street Journal. He makes it utterly clear that in SLM’s eyes the only way forward is to eradicate the current regime.

It is inconceivable that the racist, Islamo-fascist regime in Khartoum can reform itself. It must disappear. Did the world ever attempt to “reform” the Nazi regime?

We must prevail to preserve the unity of Sudan. In a truly democratic and secular Sudan, neither the South, nor Darfur, nor any other region would be tempted to secede. We must prevail to eliminate the presence of terrorist groups, such as al Qaeda and Hamas, which are guests of the regime in Khartoum. We must prevail to stabilize the region and spread democracy.

We must prevail to help Sudan return to its natural, legitimate geopolitical place — which is the African continent and not the Arab or Muslim world. At the same time, we must forge new alliances, no longer based upon race or religion, but upon shared values of freedom and democracy. This is why we opened a representative office in Israel last February.

We know we can prevail over a regime which, despite its appearances, is weak. We are well-organized and increasingly popular throughout the country. With the help of those who share our values and cherish freedom, victory is within reach.

His article is cleverly written for an American audience. Some parts of it are not factual but merely designed to gather more support for SLM. On top of that, he leaves some questions unanswered. Overall though, it certainly is an interesting piece.

There is more to comment on. Hopefully I’ll do it later if I have time.

(hat tip: Sigmund, Carl and Alfred)

UPDATE:

1. Terrorists aren’t guests of this regime anymore really, at least not in the sense that it harbors them (Hamas people do drop by from time to time and the government is lenient about it). Today, the regime’s focus is investment, investment and more investment. Terrorists are bad for business. Plus, keep in mind the heavy cooperation between the CIA and the Sudanese intelligence.

2.  Most Sudanese are Muslims and most speak Arabic. Reversing what happened is the equivalent of saying ludicrous things like “the United States should go back to its natural state which was Indian and not white.” It’s been hundreds of years already. Sudan is Afro-Arab. Period.

Surprise? This shouldn’t be. We all knew this was going on now:

Communications Minister Mahamat Hissene told the BBC that the garrison town of Ade had been attacked by ground troops supported by helicopters.

Mr Hissene said the fighting was continuing and confirmed a rebel raid on the smaller town of Am Zoer.

Last month, Sudan accused Chad of helping a Darfur rebel group attack a city just outside the Sudanese capital.

Chad denied the allegation but the UN says Sudan and Chad have been fighting a proxy war through each other’s rebel groups.

It would become a horrendous situation if the beef between Sudan and Chad intensified big time. Darfurians already have enough of a headache (an understatement).

What? You think that’s ridiculous? Rubbish. If al-Bashir says the International Criminal Court is a terrorist organization, then it most definitely is a terrorist organization. End of discussion. Understood?

June 10, 2008 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese president Omar Hassan Al-Bashir reiterated today his country’s rejection of calls to hand over two Darfur war crimes suspects to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“We view the ICC as a first class terrorist organization” Al-Bashir told Al-Sa’aa” Egyptian TV in an interview.

Yeah, show them Bashir. Show these bastards what they need to hear. More tough talk please. I beg you. Keep it coming. You’re the man!

Oh yeah. Thumbs up!

The Sudanese government obviously isn’t happy.

You can watch the statement made by all three candidates here. Nice!

As many of you may be able to recall, I wasn’t exactly a big fan of the Save Darfur Coalition thanks to how they were calling for forced military intervention, something which can only have short-term benefits. Their position has shifted and is now focused on enforcing and implementing the pertinent UN resolutions.

Also after JEM’s attack on Khartoum, I was waiting for their reaction and I was a little surprised when I finally received it. Unlike previously, they didn’t provide unconditional political support to Darfur’s rebels. Instead they made it clear sathey were against the attack.

Good.

I gotta say I like the new Save Darfur a lot better than the old one. On top of that I commend them for pursuing this symbolic but significant statement from all presidential candidates. Hopefully they’ll continue their efforts to make Darfur (and by extension the CPA) visible issues during the US election.

P.S.: You might have already noticed the new widget on the sidebar. I endorse the S.E.A.L. initiative and believe it’s a very good approach. Go ahead, have a look at it and if you like it, endorse it too. I encourage you to.

I’ve been happily exchanging emails behind the scenes to get you all some insider information on the great life-saving work carried out in Darfur by the humanitarian organization AmeriCares. The following are answers by Christoph Gorder, AmeriCares’ VP of Emergency Response to the few questions I asked. If you have any extra questions, feel free to add them in the comments section and I’ll try and get them answered in a potential interview I might do with the CEO of AmeriCares in the future. Anyways, for now, enjoy this insider-info.

Is it more costly to fly directly into Darfur ?

Guessing the question really is: “Is it more costly to fly directly into West Darfur than into Khartoum , and then deliver goods overland to Darfur ?”

Airlifts are expensive and AmeriCares airlift into West Darfur this week was no different. This airlift — our 10th — cost $130,000. And like every driver and commercial airline knows, the rising cost of fuel is severely impacting the final price tag. AmeriCares flew the same route into West Darfur in 2007 for $86,000. The cost of delivering humanitarian aid is skyrocketing.

The question of cost demonstrates the classic example of the choices, both financial and logistical, that AmeriCares makes when providing emergency relief. The situation on the ground in Darfur is so insecure that delivering the goods overland from Khartoum would put the people delivering the goods and the goods themselves at great risk. While costly, flying the supplies directly into West Darfur ensures that they are delivered into the hands of people who will use the supplies within miles of the landing site. Our main concern is saving lives and restoring health to the people of Darfur . If the option is saving money or ensuring that our aid is safely and effectively delivered, we’ll always choose the option that best guarantees assistance reaches those who need it most in a time effective manner.

How did AmeriCares manage to get permission from the Sudanese government to conduct these direct flights? Were there any difficulties AmeriCares faced in getting this permission?

As with the delivery of goods into any country, there are laws and regulations that must be followed to gain entry. It isn’t surprising that as war rages on, the Sudanese government is extremely cautious about the people and goods flowing in and out of the country. We worked closely with our partner on the ground to complete all of the necessary paperwork and gain the necessary approvals to deliver this shipment of goods. Our long-standing relationship with the Darfur ministry of health, which receives medicines and medical supplies from our airlifts, also helps to ensure we gain access and can deliver goods effectively.

AmeriCares has a long track record of working with the Sudanese government and partner organizations on the ground to deliver life-saving medicines and medical supplies. This is our 10th airlift since 2004 and we have two more airlifts planned for this year. AmeriCares believes that our respect of and adherence to government rules, strong relationships with on-the-ground partners, and supply of life-saving medicines is what allows us to continue airlifts and provide relief to people displaced by the unrest in Darfur.

What’s the positive impact these airlifts are having on the ground? Is it measurable?

AmeriCares airlifts of medicines and medical supplies save lives, prevent the spread of disease and restore health to people living in refugee camps across Darfur . Since 2004, nearly all of the pharmaceuticals distributed in West Darfur have been delivered by AmeriCares. Our deliveries include medicines to combat malaria, cholera, respiratory problems, meningitis, diarrhea, birth trauma and wound infections — all common medical conditions faced by people living in refugee camps. AmeriCares airlifts serve a displaced population of more than 400,000 in West Darfur alone. Since 2004, we’ve delivered more than 152 tons of medicines and medical supplies into North, South and West Darfur

Thank you AmeriCares for your excellent efforts. You guys are awesome!

By the way dear readers, for something relevant, let me just say I received an email from ‘Save Darfur’ a while ago responding to the questions I posed to them. Finally. They’ve also issued a statement denouncing JEM’s attack on Khartoum. It’s good to see them being critical instead of simply providing unconditional support to Darfur’s rebels.

Andrew Heavens has a nice list of possible reasons for JEM’s recent attack on Khartoum:

1. A bloody PR move to get JEM some headlines
2. Retribution – to bring some of Darfur’s suffering to Khartoum
3. Humiliation of Khartoum and exposure of holes in its security system
4. Chad-backed revenge for the two Khartoum-backed rebel raids on N’Djamena
5. The move of a mad, power-hungry warlord
6. A move to break the stalemate in the Darfur peace process AKA Operation Longarm
7. Distraction while JEM prepares for an offensive on El Geneina
8. A genuine coup attempt
9. The first stages of a coup attempt to test for support among army and opposition
10. Creating chaos in the capital leading to the breakdown of the state

As for why the rebels managed to reach all the way until Khartoum, apparently the army was prevented from properly responding due to fears of a fifth column. The defense minister actually spoke about this in parliament when he was getting grilled over his failure of protecting the capital.

Thing is, it is now clear that the battle in Umdurman wasn’t exactly fully fought between the rebels and the Sudanese army but mainly between the rebels and the Sudanese security forces who are thought to be more loyal to the government. Still though, the parliament isn’t satisfied with the defense minister’s explanation and many have demanded his resignation plus setting up an investigative committee.

WTF? This is so stupid. They’re pouring more fuel into the fire. I’m telling you, if the sectarian monster gets unleashed within Khartoum, we are going to have some very bad times ahead.

I like the SLM leader’s wise language in this one.

“The Sudanese regime should stop arresting people according to their skin color because this would only deepen the wounds of civilians who moved from Darfur to Khartoum to escape the ongoing repression that started five years ago” Al-Nur said.

… Al-Nur pointed out that rebel attack against the capital can be traced to the lack of equality among citizens of the same country. He called on Khartoum to “work seriously for peace and endorse the value of equal citizenship rights”.

The SLM chief also said Khartoum should immediately put an end to the violence against civilians in Darfur by implementing the signed ceasefire accords.

Abdel-Wahid regretted the death of Sudanese civilians everywhere in the country before saying that “it is a vicious circle started by the government and unless they show seriousness there will be no end to it”.

Khartoum knows what it needs to do. Will al-Bashir’s National Congress Party do the right thing or will they use JEM’s attack as a justification for more bombing in Darfur and carrying out further oppression against Darfurians?

I hope they’re paying attention to Al-Nur’s words. Something tells me whether they like it or not, they’ll eventually have to.

Meanwhile, Sudanese in Khartoum are rightly questioning and criticizing the government over how and why the rebels managed to reach all the way until the capital.

For necessary background on the situation, read this previous coverage.