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Sudan and the ICC

By Brendan John Worrell (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-03-12 17:15

Last Wednesday when the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for the arrest of the Sudanese president on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, I couldn't help but think of an old friend.

After years of living in a UN refugee camp in Uganda he'd won the equivalent of an asylum 'lucky dip' which flew him out to Darwin, Australia in 2001. His sister ended up somewhere in the Middle East while the rest of his family were "God knows where".

One of the saddest memories I have is of him being broke because he spent every cent he had on international phone calls trying to track down his family. Another is of him going to the local hospital to get a CAT scan because he thought he was dying.

Prior to meeting him I had no knowledge about Sudan–Africa's largest nation and an ever increasing geopolitical pawn.

Working at the local university, I spent hours with him and several other refugees who were grappling to 'make a go' of their new lives, in their new role as 'students'.

They could speak several languages including Arabic, were now perfecting their academic English and were on their own after an initial period of case management by the local Australian government.

Active in the local community, regular Church goers, and avid sports folk – given the chance and given the opportunity to fulfill their potential, there was no reason why they couldn't lead healthy quality lives.

Last year my friend graduated with, of all things, his Bachelor of Social Work.

Now there were and still are adjustment problems in many instances for the Sudanese-Australians but that is to be expected - post traumatic stress disorder doesn't disappear with just one lick of an ice-cream.

Yet years later his nation still remains beset by strife and one shudders to think how many more living nightmares are taking place.

Tragically last weeks ICC ruling actually flew in the face of caution expressed by several parties including the African Union and the Arab League, who felt it would complicate affairs in Sudan's Western Darfur region and possibly lead to a crisis that could spill over into other neighboring areas.

As it eventuated, protests against the ICC decision did break out in Khartoum buoying support for the president, who now appears to be more defiant and less inclined to tolerate splinter groups and foreign outside parties engaged in aid work that his government has long been distrustful towards.

They've since expelled 13 of the largest aid agencies operating in Darfur and on Sunday the Sudan Media Center announced the army was marshalling three quarters of its troops expecting trouble from rebel groups who may be heartened by the ICC ruling.

As the present tension smolders we should consider that only last month the largest rebel group in Darfur, and there are many such groups in the country, the Justice and Equality Movement, or JEM, signed an agreement with the Sudan government at a meeting in Doha on February 17, to aid and protect refugees while also working on a prisoner swap.

This meeting was praised then by the UN Secretary General Ban and Japan's UN Ambassador Yukio Takasu, who cautioned that it was a 'modest first step', adding that all rebel groups needed to become involved for the peace to be sustainable.

Sudan's UN Ambassador Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad wryly noted that Western members of the Security Council were "frightened by this (Doha) agreement. They are not happy."

Interesting then, when a week later actor George Clooney speaks from the steps of the White House to Larry King on CNN, on the night of the Oscars, asking for the US and the world to engage in better "robust diplomacy". He singles out China and asks it to do more to put the Sudanese Government's 'feet to the fire' to assist in change. He also mentions he was looking towards the ICC ruling and what result this may entail.

Actually, the day after Clooney's interview China was marking its 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties with Sudan, which is only 53 years old.

Here in China people would argue that not just in Sudan but throughout Africa, the developing world and the Middle East, China is engaging in patient diplomacy and bridge building, assisting with the creation of infrastructure, creating trade opportunities and leveraging communities out of poverty - a reality the west has great problems accepting.

The commander of the UN-led peacekeeping force in Darfur, Nigeria's General Martin Agwai, did mention in October that the international community via its bumbling had actually served to prolong the conflict.

At present the mobilization and deployment of UNAMID the joint UN and African Union Peacekeeping force in Darfur, is scheduled to run up to 31 July this year.

Meanwhile according to the Sudan Tribune, a non-profit website based in France, a joint Sudan-UN mission to evaluate the need for food, water, health and emergency shelter in Darfur commenced today.