Dafur's ex-SLA leader Minni Arcua Minnawi, who became presidential adviser in Khartoum, calls on Sudan to co-operate with ICC

Here is another fishy story from France-based Sudan Tribune announcing that Dafur's head of the SLA, Minni Arcua Minnawi, who became presidential adviser in Khartoum, calls on Sudan to co-operate with ICC.

The whole article, copied here below, is based on a line or two of information from an interview with independent Darfur Radio Dabanga to be broadcasted next week. The interview had not even aired when the Sudan Tribune published quotes from it. Who knows if and when the interview ever took place. One wonders if the article was concocted and timed strategically for maximum impact and mischief.

Going by the archives here at Sudan Watch and recent articles published by Sudan Tribune, it seems clear (to me anyway) that the France based website masquerades as a new organisation in order to be used as a clearing house for rebel press releases and GoS opposition propaganda. [Also note Canada based New Sudan Vision - see Wikipedia]

How would the Darfur information war and its leaders have fared without the Sudan Tribune I wonder. To be fair, it is an excellent site that works very well, technically and layout wise, and its anonymous editors and plagiarisers work hard around the clock 24/7 to provide a great service to the rebels (and, inadvertently, to my great amusement might I add!) Hey you guys, don't forget: I'm watching you :-)

I hope those, Africans or Arabs or French or Germans or Dutch or Spanish or Chinese or Russian or whoever they all are, behind the Sudan Tribune have a sense of humour when and if any of them read this. Here is a copy of their latest fishy story.

December 04, 2008 article from Khartoum, Sudan published by Sudan Tribune December 05, 2008:

DARFUR'S MINNAWI CALLS ON SUDAN TO COOPERATE WITH ICC

Sudan’s senior presidential assistant Minni Arcua Minnawi urged the government to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) which has moved to indict president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.

“Sudan as member of the UN should respect the ICC and defend its case at the ICC” Minnawi said in an interview with independent Darfur Radio Dabanga to be broadcasted next week.

“The law is above everyone. Anyone not respecting the law has to be punished” he added.

Minnawi’s statements come a day after the ICC prosecutor warned the UN Security Council that they must be prepared for prospects of an arrest warrant against Al-Bashir.

In mid-July the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo announced that he is seeking an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir.

Ocampo filed 10 charges: three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder. In early October ICC judges have officially started reviewing the case in a process that could possibly drag on to next year.

Sudan refuses to recognize the court saying it did not ratify its founding treaty and vowed not to hand over any of citizens to be tried at The Hague based court.

But Minnawi said Khartoum must respect the ICC judicial process saying its legally obligated to do so since it is a UN member.

The former rebel leader has consistently called on Sudan to cooperate with the ICC despite being a member of the government.

Last year sources in the SLM faction told Sudan Tribune that Al-Bashir has privately urged Minnawi to support his rejection of the ICC as a member of the government, but the ex-rebel leader turned down his request.

In May 2006, the SLM signed the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) with the Sudanese government and its head Minnawi was appointed as the senior assistant of the Sudanese president in August.

But Minnawi have expressed frustration with implementation of the DPA saying the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) is deliberately stalling it.

UN experts estimate some 300,000 people have died and 2.5 million driven from their homes. Sudan blames the Western media for exaggerating the conflict and puts the death toll at 10,000. (ST)



Photo: Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) leader Minni Minnawi speaks during a press conference in Khartoum (AFP) [Photo and caption source: Sudan Tribune 05 Dec 08]

Note the caption against the photo selected by Sudan Tribune, refers to Minni Arcua Minnawi as leader of Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM), and not the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA). France-based Abdel-Wahid Al-Nur considers himself chairman of the SLM - or rather, should I say, SLM/A. For the purposes of unifomity at Sudan Watch, SLM leader is Nur, SLA leader is Minnawi. JEM leader is Ibrahim. As for the groups, SLA, SLM, SLM/A, SPLMA... it doesn't really matter what they call themselves or their 30 or more splinter groups, the easiest way to remember who is who, is to think of them all as part of the same group stemming from the SPLMA in Southern Sudan, then it's not so confusing trying to figure out what the rebels are all about and what they're after.

Here's another thing, why was the 20 or more years of war in southern Sudan with a death toll of two million classed as civil war when Darfur, according to the ICC's prosecutor is classed as genocide? I have a theory on the answer to that question, too long to go into here right now. Note to self for later date: look up Eric Reeves' Sudan writings prior to 2004.