Damanga Response to Opinion Piece on Sudan by George Clooney and John Prendergast
June 16, 2010
By Mohamed Yahya, Executive Director,
Damanga
June,16,2010. WashingtonDC.
As Darfur genocide survivors and American human rights activists, we are very
disturbed by what Actor George Clooney and "Enough Project" activist
John Prendergast has to say about war and peace in Darfur and Sudan. They jointly co-authored an article on June 9, 2010
titled "U.S. must help stop Sudan's slow-motion war." While human rights activists certainly seek an end
to war and violence, we also recognize that compassionate nations and
compassionate people seek justice, equality, dignity, and human rights as the
building blocks of any lasting peace.
We are deeply troubled to read that the
authors of the opinion piece seek "parallel carrots and sticks are the key
to this approach." According to the authors, on the
"carrots" side, the U.S. should present a quid pro quo with an expiration
date by the end of the year. In exchange for peace in Darfur and the South, the U.S. would move to normalize relations with Sudan and work in the Security Council to suspend the
war crimes indictment of President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir under article 16 of
the International Criminal Court Charter. On the "sticks" side, the
authors call for "a U.S.–led Initiative should build international support
for severe consequences for anyone promoting war, whether they are ruling party
officials, militias, rebels, or Southern Sudan's
leaders."
For years, we have heard the same
philosophical slogans: "Peace Incentives," "Door 1 vs. Door 2
scenario," "carrots and sticks," and so forth, as if we are
dealing with a government of angels or peace-making leaders. What
"carrots" or incentives should people of conscience offer to the
architects of genocide? If we accept an international code of Universal Human
Rights for all people, is there no responsibility for human rights activists to
call for action on such human rights, even in the face of genocide? How can
people of conscience and commitment in human rights seriously argue for the
need to offer incentives to the terrible government in Sudan, despite the massive crimes being committed
against its innocent civilians from Darfur to the
South all these years?
Why do we only see offers of incentives
instead of serious consequences to a government that has been continuously
violating human rights and systematically eliminating an entire ethnic
community from their land? Why must the people of Darfur have to wait until the end of the year again over and over to
implement such empty promises of action against human rights violators?
When will it be "Enough" of the
denial of human rights, justice, freedom, and lasting peace for the victims of Darfur for the Enough Project's John Prendergast and George Clooney? How
much longer must the world continue to appease the genocidal regime of Khartoum and give them time and promotions to continue to
strengthen their ability to stay in power to humiliate our people forever? It
is unbelievable to hear such recommendations from influential activists and
actors, who have visited Darfur refugees a couple of times in Chad or Darfur and
who have gained all the respect from all of us for their dedication to fight
against those obsessed persistent criminals of our time.
They suggest unbearable ideas to push the U.S. government to move towards normalizing relations
with the indicted criminals in Sudan in exchange for peace in Darfur and South Sudan. They further call for the suspension of
"the war crimes indictment of President Al-Bashir under Article 16 of the
ICC-the International Criminal Court charter." Do such activists believe
that after all the destruction and obstruction by such architects of genocide
that the world should simply ignore Mr. Al-Bashir's crimes? Should such
an indictment be dismissed against Al-Bashir because he is a
"peace-maker?"
Mr. Clooney and Prendergast, this will
never happen on our watch. We can't let criminals who killed millions in Darfur and South and all Sudan to walk away free of charges. That would be
a terrible, intolerable mistake that ever the history could forgive. It is our
responsibility as civilized people and democratic nations of conscience,
transparency, and moral integrity to be honest and do the right thing to bring
those killers to justice. We cannot have any lasting peace without such
justice.
We must not succumb to the fear of the catastrophic
war that Al-Bashir would carry out against South if it is separated because of
oil. It is better for you to work to separate Al-Bashir and his terrorist
government instead of flattering him as the only one who can bring peace,
referendum, and freedom. Al-Bashir and his National Congress Party (NCP) are
the ultimate disaster for the Sudanese people and are the real threats to Sudan's survival and the whole region's well being.
The U.S. and the whole world will never end this growing
problem by only supporting "peace" and ignoring justice. No good
outcome will ever come without supporting the ICC first and foremost to do its
work by arresting Omar Al-Bashir and his counterparts Ahmad Haroun, Salih
Kusheeb and the other suspects to send them to the "Hague"
headquarters of the ICC to be charged.
We say to activists that the rhetoric of
appeasement for "peace" will only continue to hurt Darfuri refugees
and prolong their endless sufferings. Don't do this to those trusted you and
welcomed you with cheers and smiles during your visit to their makeshift camps
in that remote area of the world.
We understand all the challenges that this
country is going through. But still America is the greatest nation in the world and is capable
of leading the rest of the nations of conscience to fulfill the promises of
change for a better and peaceful world that everyone can enjoy without fear.
We recognize the continued need for
compassionate nations and people to seek mercy in the sake of peace. But
compassionate nations don't look the other way at genocide. Compassionate
nations don't abandon helpless victims and embrace cruel dictators.
Compassionate nations must not abandon criminal law, justice, and human rights
necessary for the consistent application of law for peace. They must show the
world that crimes against humanity have consequences.
For too many years, the nations of the
world have shown tolerance and silence to the war criminal Al-Bashir. It
is past time for the nations of the world to begin to show mercy towards
Al-Bashir's many victims and demonstrate enough compassion to care for justice
for Al-Bashir's victims and to tell Al-Bashir and other war criminals
"Never Again."
If the compassionate people and nations of
the world fail to seek justice, dignity, and human rights in Darfur, what message will this send to those who seek to oppress others and
rob them of their human rights around the world? If we suspend the ICC
indictment against Al-Bashir, why bother to have international law and a standard
of human rights that rejects genocide and war crimes?
Mr. Prendergast and Mr. Clooney are
concerned about a "slow-motion war." Who will be concerned
about the "slow-motion" denial of human rights, dignity, and justice
for the people of Darfur and Sudan?
About the Author: Mohamed A. Yahya is a founder and
executive director of Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy. Also, 2010
nominee for Dan David Pulitzer Prize.www.damanga.org.
