Condemn Sudan: It is easy
04 December, 2011
Khartoum, (sudanow.info.sd) - It is not easy for the Western mindset or the US government to simply believe that Sudan is striving for the better of its people and a peaceful settlement to volatile situations erupting in some parts of the country after the separation of Southern Sudan.
Open any website or use any search engine to look for Sudan news and you will find a bizarre and a ceaseless campaign to illustrate an ugly and one-sided picture of the situation on the ground. The campaign is very intense and far-reaching beyond any capacity to counter efforts by Sudan government.
One example of such campaigns that are inhibiting peace efforts, giving one-sided coverage of the conflict and prolonging the wars in Darfur and other areas in Sudan could be seen in the activities of Save Darfur Coalition. Based in the United States, it is a coalition of more than 180 religious, political, and human rights organizations designed to campaign against the Sudan government and its response to the War in Darfur. In 2006, the Jerusalem Post reported that the Coalition has "begun exclusively as an initiative of the American Jewish community". The Coalition has also been criticized because none of the huge funds it raises go to help needy refugees on the ground in Darfur, but instead are used for lobbying the United States Administration to intervene, militarily, in the Sudan.
The work of these organizations reflected Sudan in stereotype stories and distorted the country's image beyond repairs. Comprehensive and well organized, the campaign is led by heavy weights such as the Enough Project Co-founder John Prendergast and advocated by celebrities like Mia Farrow who was a participant in the 12-Day Hunger Strike for Darfur and the Academy award-nominated star, producer and screenwriter, George Clooney. The bony-faced actor himself is a co-founder of the Darfur aid organization, which he launched with actors Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, and Brad Pitt. He also initiated the Satellite Sentinel Project during an October 2010 visit to South Sudan with Enough Co-founder John Prendergast. The project is designed to systematically monitor and report on potential hotspots and threats to security with the aim of heading off humanitarian disaster and human rights crimes before they occur. Today, George Clooney continues to fundraise and promote the work of Satellite Sentinel Project in Sudan. However, the project reports were only focused to criminalize Sudan government and provide for further international condemnation.
The negative impact of such campaigns is not only crippling Sudan government's actions to ease the burdens of refugees, but also has blown up several opportunities for lasting and peaceful settlement. Despite tremendous efforts and outstanding progress made by Sudan Government on the ground in Darfur- as witnessed by UNAMID that comprises UN and AU put together as well as the United States itself as could be shown in this article shortly- and the signing of the Doha Peace Accord, the US government continues to deal with this issue in the same manner and attitude as before. During November 2001, a workshop on Darfur was hosted by the U.S. Institute of Peace and was attended by some Darfuri armed factional movements, Darfuri civil society, and stakeholders in the international community, including U.S. government officials. The statement of the workshop reads:
"The United States remains deeply concerned about the situation in Darfur. Although some progress has been achieved on the road to a definitive settlement, fundamental issues remain unresolved and a serious humanitarian and human rights crisis is ongoing in the region."
Sudan government questioned the motive behind hosting such workshop at a time when the conflict in Darfur is coming to a close. Not only the Doha Accord was widely accepted as a comprehensive deal answering to all questions behind the conflict, but furthermore, the environment was strategically moved towards peace in the region. The armed rebellion movements have been disarmed from the claims that they were the sole advocates for the Darfuri demands. The Sudan government has concluded a conclusive agreement with Chad that ended cross border infringements. The change of regime in Egypt and Libya was the last stroke that signaled an end to the conflict that had been escalated mainly by external, rather than, internal factors.
Nonetheless, these smearing international campaigns did not change their course, strategies or tactics in mobilizing forces against Sudan. Phony outcries cries and false tears were shed lamenting against Sudanese efforts to bring peace to Southern Kurdofan and Blue Nile States. None of these reports succeeded to mention that Sudan National Army is fighting against foreign troops from the newly inaugurated Southern Sudan state, namely the Ninth and Tenth Brigades from Sudan Peoples' Liberation Army (SPLA). Furthermore, ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo popped out once again these days to request that an arrest warrant be issued for serving Sudanese Defense Minister Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein on charges of alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes supposedly committed in Darfur from August 2003 to March 2004. As expected, the move was widely been applauded by safe Darfur coalition and enough project.
Such a move would prove once again how difficult it is to change the Western or the US Government mindset with regard to Sudan. It is very difficult to follow the call from the Chinese Deputy Representative of China to the United Nations, Wang Min, that the world should reward Sudan for its efforts to bring peace to its southern region which is now a separate entity, a sovereign state and to work for improving the relations with Khartoum.Wang Min added that the Sudanese government has shown political will to implement the peace process between North and the South and has made great efforts in this regard. Rather, the US and many Western countries chose the easy course, they preferred to condemn Sudan because this was the easy option.
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