Darfur Union in the UK – The Significance of Sentencing Karadzic to Life in Prison by the ICC and its Parallel to Bashir Indictment by the very Court
also Darfur Union position on the up and coming Strategic dialogue Meeting Between HMG-UK and the Government of Sudan in Spring 2019
by Osama Mahmoud
From Karadzic to Bashir
Three significant events took place this year which represent a great source of discomfort for ICC indictee Omer al-Bashir. First the popular uprising in Sudan and its growing momentum to date (ref. 1); secondly, Malaysia joining International Criminal Court – ICC which further Bashir isolation (ref. 2), and thirdly, Radovan Karadžić, war crimes sentence increased to life in prison (ref. 3), all of which which send shivers to Bashir and his fellow ICC indictees in Sudan.
It took more than 21 years for the victims of the Bosnian war (Srebrenica genocide) and their relatives to see the sentencing of main perpetrator before their eyes.
Radovan Karadzic, aka the “Butcher of Bosnia” was found guilty of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The crimes were committed by the Bosnian Serb forces between 1992-1995 under direct commands from Karadzic, and as a result he was sentenced on Thursday (24th March 2016) by the International Criminal Court in La Hague to 40 years’ imprisonment.
The waiting game is one of the most cruel aspect of the justice system, yet it is important to prove with damning evidence and beyond no reasonable doubt that the person(s) in question has acted with intent to cause such havoc and atrocities.
21 years after Karadzic indictment by the ICC, he got tangled by the architecture of international law. The very justice he denied his victims was offered to him, yet the indicators and evidence of atrocities his soldiers committed against the innocent people of Bosnia were overwhelming and justice eventually prevailed.
Between Bashir of Sudan and Karadzic
The Rhetoric is almost identical. Back in 1993, amid the vicious war against the people of Srebrenica, Karadzic was asked by international journalists about ‘alleged systematic crimes by his troops’ against the innocent population of Srebrenica and the selective targeting on the basis of religious belief and ethnicity. He stood up dismissing the ‘allegation’ and the world double standard against his government, lack of evidence and lastly emphasised on the right his government to run the country by the way ‘they’ see suit.
Years later the very words were echoed/ been used by Bashir of Sudan in his denial of any wrong doing in Darfur. Bashir Infamous Speech in Elfashir in March 2009, in a defiant act after his indictment by the ICC he said “Anyone who supports the court is under my shoe, http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-sudanbashir9-2009mar09-story.html”. He went on and on using colourful words to describe the former general prosecutor of the ICC as well as to claim the reported numbers of dead in Darfur were fabricated,m; it was not 300000 as the west claimed, it is JUST 10000!
10 years ago, where Luis Ocampo, the former general prosecutor of the ICC, announced that his team have gathered enough evidence to prosecute Omer Bashir, the sitting president of Sudan, for crimes committed under his commands, that counts for the following:
5 counts for crimes against humanity
2 counts of war crimes
3 counts of genocide
The gathering of evidence was concluded by the 12th of July 2010, under the statue of Rome. Two warrants of arrest issued by the Pre Trial Chamber are out there, and the perpetrator (Bashir) is still at large (ref. 5).
Since then, several light attempts were put in place to arrest Bashir, in Kenya, Nigeria and the last one was in South Africa, June 2015. During Bashir visit to participate in AU summit, an interim order was made by the high court in Pretoria, barring President Bashir from leaving South Africa, after civil organisations called for his arrest on the basis of an ICC warrant. Bashir managed to escape after the executive bodies failed to conduct the judiciary orders. The South African appeal court has accused the government of “disgraceful conduct” in allowing Sudanese president (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/16/south-african-court-rules-failure-to-detain-omar-al-bashir-was-disgraceful). This came as an embarrassment to SA government, and as a huge disappointment to the people of Sudan in Darfur, and justice advocates around the world. Nonetheless, the ICC prosecution case against Bashir has proved to be a source of discomfort to the perpetrator and his government, and it is a source of inspiration for the people of the region. Since the indictment, Bashir and his militias have waged a viscous war in Darfur. As of the 18th of March 2016, UN OCHA have reported up to 98000 civilians fleeing the violence in Western Darfur. Bashir has also extended his genocidal plans to the regions of Nuba Mountains and Blue Niles.
The up and Coming Strategic Dialogue between UK Her Majesty’s Government and the government of Sudan
Yet another meeting is scheduled in May 2019 that will be held in the UK, between UK HM government and GoS (ref. 4) to agree on a roadmap that will aim to focus on the peace process, human rights, development, trade and investment, migration, defence engagement, counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism, regional issues and culture. The reality is that the strategic dialogue timing this year gives a live line for Bashir amid the isolation he is experiencing as well as granting him and his government a permit to continuing the oppression against the people of Sudan. In spite of the aforementioned, the UK government is going forward with this dialogue.
While the ink of the one sided agreement is yet to be dried on paper, the blood of innocent Sudanese is been shed on the backdrop of the government bombardment and shelling in West Darfur – Elgeinena, peaceful protesters Khartoum and other cities across Sudan.
Plea to the UK and the international community
Darfur Union in the United Kingdom calls upon the international community to cut ties and bilateral relations with The government of Sudan which is responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and above all genocide.
Another request is to give the ICC the necessary supports to opening new investigations into breaches of international laws
We plea to the European Union to reconsider its proposed plans, and to halt the payment of the proposed grant to the government of Sudan http://wp.me/p77ak4-5E, which will end contributing to the displacement of more innocent people of Sudan.
Darfur Union in the UK stands side by side with the people of Sudan and applauds the brave and creative act taken by the people of Sudan, which is going to be another seed of unity against the oppression of the Bashir and his government. The union also encourage the people to keep the momentum and to continue uprise, which will put more pressure on the Government of Sudan. Some of the media centres across the world have reported the ongoing demonstrations in he country, which is great, the union asks these centres to continue reporting as the government has the backing of other oppressive regimes in the regions which has chosen to turn a blind eye on what is going on in the country.
A message to Sudanese diaspora, keep backing the popular uprising in the country by organising demonstrations in the country. Furthermore, utilizing social media to support the reports received from the country because the government of sudan is in control the internet service providers and they may refer to blocking the internet completely as they have done in the past.
Viva la Sudan
#SudanUprising
#مدن_السودان_تنتفض
Osama Mahmoud, Head of Comms.
Darfur Union in the UK
Website: http://darfurunionuk.wordpress.com
Email address: [email protected]
Twitter handle: @Darfurunionuk
Ref. 1: https://darfurunionuk.wordpress.com/2018/12/23/darfur-union-in-the-uk-the-momentum-is-on-the-side-of-the-people-of-sudan/
Ref. 2:
https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/malaysia-joins-icc-in-boost-for-beleaguered-court
Ref. 3:
https://www.theguardian.com/law/2019/mar/20/radovan-karadzic-faces-final-verdict-in-bosnia-war-crimes-case
Ref. 4:
https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Lords/2019-01-16/HL12880/
Ref. 5:
https://www.icc-cpi.int/darfur/albashir