By Jacob J Akol
J J Akol
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If you told any South Sudanese the fact that President Bashir is a proven war-monger, a terrorist and a very dangerous man, you would be told: “So what is new?” It would be better to suggest the man has gone completely bonkers! That way you could be sure of nodding approvals. They know that since he came to power in 1989, there has never been a single year in which President Bashir was not at war with someone within the borders of the Sudan. Why so?
Quoting Bashir in his book, “The State of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence, Martin Maradith says, “Shortly after seizing power, General Bashir addressed a rally, holding a copy of the Koran in one hand and a Kalasnikov in the other” and went on to declare: “I vow here before you to purge from our ranks the renegades, the hirelings, the enemies of the people and the enemies of the armed forces.”
While he carried out an open war with Southern Sudan throughout the 90s up to 2005 in pursuit of this objective, he hosted in Khartoum in the mid-90s the late Osama Bin Laden, who then went on to carry out diabolical acts of terror in the region, including the simultaneous bombing of US Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in 1998, resulting in the death of hundreds of innocent Kenyans and Tanzanians.
The war in Darfur, for which he is charged by the International Criminal Court, ICC, with crimes against humanity, has been raging since 2003 up to now and may continue for a long time to come. There is a war raging in the Nuba Mountains and in Southern Blue Nile; yet he is determined to drag into war a five months old baby nation of the world: The Republic of South Sudan. How Bashir hates to hear such a name in spite of his pretentions to recognise and respect the reality that’s South Sudan!
As has been pointed out often enough on the Gurtong website and monthly magazine, Bashir never expected to see the Comprehensive Peace Agreement reach its logical conclusion, as he intended to either dishonour it wholly or partially, depending on international pressure on him. As it turned out, South Sudan managed to get away with her independence; but Bashir has so far managed to dishonour the Abyei Protocol and arrangements for the Nuba Mountains and Southern Blue Nile. Instead of following the CPA, he has instead invaded and occupy by force, Abyei, the Nuba Mountains and Southern Blue Nile.
At South Sudan border with North Sudan, President Bashir has been invading, bombing and occupying South Sudan’s territory with impunity. His plans are suspected to be either to extort more oil from South Sudan or find an excuse to occupy oil producing areas deep inside South Sudan and to install a clandestine government, headed by a South Sudanese rebel leader like George Athor, who is opposed to Juba because he lost an election which he violently disputes.
However, Bashir appears to be overreaching himself this time by attempting to force South
President Bashir
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Sudan in to an open war. South Sudan is not any more a part of the Sudan. It is an independent country, a member of the United Nations and friend to many countries near and far. South Sudanese President Kiir speaks peace even when his people are getting tired of Bashir’s aggression, war mongering and greed.
Bashir’s Sudan is the opposite. He himself is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity committed in Darfur.
His recent attempt to blackmail the Kenyan government into overturning a Kenyan court order to have him arrested if he showed up again in Kenya is a demonstration of how deformed, dictatorial and arrogant Bashir has always been. The threat to close Sudan airspace for flights originating from or heading to Kenya if the court order stands is as empty as it is naïve and dangerous. While the Kenyan Government of President Kibaki appears to have forgiven Bashir, Kenyans by and large have not forgotten and would definitely arrest Bashir if he dares show up again within the borders of Kenya.
Bashir is taking impunity too far and he is tightening the noose on his own neck! He is in his last kicks and very dangerous at that! After all, he did not get to where he is today through peaceful means: Not a single year since he came to power over 22 years ago has Bashir been not at war with someone within the Sudan and he may want a war with South Sudan to survive just a little longer; but, like everything else, there is an end and his time to go is around the corner.
Jacob J Akol is Editor and Director of the Gurtong Trust – Peace and Media Project