Things You Need to Know About Sudan, its Government, and its Genocides

Sudan and South Sudan have had a violent, confrontational, and complicated past.  June 4, 2015 marked the fourth anniversary of the Khartoum regime’s genocide in the Nuba Mountains.  Currently, this is still the reality and will remain the case unless action is taken.  Despite the tragic oppression and loss of human life, the U.S. State Department has increasingly lent legitimacy to the war criminals who rule the country by treating them as statesmen and hosting them to lobby the U.S. government here in Washington.  Here are a few significant recent events that have occurred in Sudan, their implications, and reflections on past actions and future options.

President Omar al-Bashir Selects New Cabinet Members.

Sudanese President and head of the National Congress Party (NCP) Omar al-Bashir, who recently won the Sudanese presidential election and who was sworn into office on June 2, has quickly started making some changes. Recently, Bashir selected a new Minister of Foreign Affairs (Ibrahim Ghandour-Vice President of the NCP), Minister of Oil (Mohamed Zayed), and Minister of Defense (Lieutenant-General Mostafa Osman Obeid). In recent media publications, this move is portrayed as fueled by a desire to work towards the goal of “establishing more stability and development in Sudan, as well as improving economic conditions”.

The changing of previous Prime Minister, Ali Ahmed Karti to the new Prime Minister, Ibrahim Ghandour, is a particularly interesting shift. “Whilst his [Karti’s] Islamist credentials are impeccable, his position has forced him to engage in a delicate balancing act. On one hand, he is the minister responsible for placating the West, whilst on the other hand he still finds it necessary to make the kind of bellicose statements that will appease the regime’s core of support within the Islamic movement”. Karti himself is a devout Muslim.

The Role Ali Ahmed Karti Used to Play

Ali Karti played a key role in attempting to keep a relative form of peace with Western governments. In early February of this year Karti was invited to the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC. The invitation generated much controversy “especially as he is lobbing the US to lift sanction and remove Sudan from its list of states than sponsor terror”. One would think that Karti’s efforts were most likely in vain, due to President Bashir’s indictment by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity as well as Karti’s role in past Sudanese genocides and in organizing the forces that “terrorized Darfur”. However, the Obama administration has not established itself as a major player in the issues that surround the atrocities of South Sudan, and have not pushed for a formal charge of Bashir.

Has the United States Worked Well With Sudan Before?

President George W. Bush’s administration provided an example of how the United States can, in fact, have an effective and meaningful role in helping stop said Sudanese atrocities. “The Bush administration promised normal relations with Khartoum if three conditions were met: 1) the attainment of peace, 2) humanitarian access throughout the country, and 3) total cooperation with the counterterrorism effort. Washington’s demonstrated willingness to use military force to combat state sponsors of terrorism and the threat of further sanctions also played crucial roles in persuading Khartoum to make the concessions it agreed to in the 2002 Machkos Protocol”. If it was possible to be part of the process that gave independence to South Sudan, it is possible to be a part of halting what is occurring in South Sudan today.

My Personal Experience: The Meeting

I recently sat in on a meeting with a number of refugees who were able to escape the horrors of South Sudan and have since moved to the US. I heard their views on the Sudanese government and its actions, and also heard about their dismay at the utter lack of US involvement. When they were asked what the most helpful actions or means the US could provide (or at least encourage support for) were, the answer was not that complicated, nor physically confrontational: establish a no-fly zone over Sudan, so no more bombs from the regime can hit businesses, hospitals, and food supplies that are so desperately needed for those still trying to survive in S regions such as the Blue Nile and the Nuba Mountains; establish some sort of agreement or protocol that allows international relief aid workers to distribute emergency aid to those who need it without the fear of being stopped, captured, or killed; and to hold Sudanese President, Omar al-Bashir accountable for his actions and his ICC indictment.

My Personal Experience: The Rally

I also recently attended a rally held in front of the White House that honored the fourth-year anniversary of the Nuba Mountain genocide. The folks that attended the rally promoted awareness about the crimes and heinous activities that are, and have been for years, occurring in the Nuba Mountain region (located in the Southern Kordofan state). We also spoke about the need for President Bashir and the Sudanese regime to be held accountable for their actions.

The rally was emotional for many, but was peaceful. After about an hour had gone by, however, a group of approximately 13 men from the Sudan embassy came down to the park where our rally was held. While they technically acted in a peaceful manner without blatant confrontation, simply their presence provided a greater smack in the face that any fistfight could have delivered. These men represent a part of the Sudanese regime, the very regime that is responsible for thousands of Sudanese deaths and displacements, especially in the Nuba Mountain region. Walking through the rally for the sole reason of provoking those who attended represents the mentality and boldness of the regime.

Our Future with South Sudan

If the reasons mentioned above are not enough to persuade the US and other international governing bodies to get involved, the one other reason should be mentioned. Sudan is becoming more Islamized by the day. “The North, with roughly two-thirds of Sudan’s land and population, is Muslim and Arabic-speaking; the Northern identity is an inseparable amalgamation of Islam and the Arabic language. The South is more indigenously African in race, culture, and religion; its identity is indigenously African, with Christian influences and a Western orientation…Since independence, the South has been threatened by the policies of Arabization and Islamization”. Individuals who live in South Sudan are being forced to accept Islamic culture, language, and names, resulting in the abandonment of traditional tribal culture, language, and identities.

The US government should consider taking action against the Sudanese regime. The genocides, the displacements, and the destruction of culture must be stopped before Sudan becomes any further unrecognizable.

I recently sat down with activist Phillip Tutu of the Nuba Mountains and asked him what the anniversary of the genocide meant to him.