URGENT MESSAGE TO ICC: Sudan’s Dagalo, Burhan, Bashir must be tried for alleged war crimes - Ethiopia’s war triggers fears in Kenya, South Sudan

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: After 18 years of gathering news on Sudan and South Sudan for documenting at this site, the below copied report by Al Jazeera.com is, to me, the last straw. I'm shocked that on Fri, 26 Nov. 2021 Al Jazeera decided to publish the report containing its exclusive interview with Gen Dagalo aka Hemeti, deputy of military coup leader Gen Burhan.

Something seems to have changed at Al Jazeera. A recent news report at its website showed a video of a man talking (probably Sudanese Prime Minister Hamdok, I can't recall). The video's audio consisted of a male narrator seemingly providing, in English, an interpretation of what was being said by the man on film. There were no subtitles showing what the man on film was saying. Also, in that report (or another video report on Sudan) Al Jazeera used sinister, anxiety provoking music in the background, like the beating of an electronic war drum. To my ears the music and beat sounded Arabic.

My point is, after 18 years - and after seeing Aljazeera's interview with Hemeti (see link below) and noting its date - I believe the time has now come for Messrs Dagalo, Burhan and Bashir to be put on trial by the International Criminal Court (ICC) as soon as humanly possible. There is no time to waste.

In the interview, Hemeti shows his true colours for all to see by wearing civilian clothing: a dark navy blue suit and tie, white shirt, black footwear, a small enamel Sudanese flag on his lapel in an effort to appear worldly and presidential. Surely, the interview is evidence of Hemeti's intention to preside over Sudan even if it's not what the people want or in the best interest of the country. The people of Sudan want civilian, not military rule. If memory serves, former Sudanese President Bashir fondly nicknamed Dagalo "Hemeti" his little boy, the son he never had. Hemeti is Bashir's heir. 

Reportedly, an editor at Al Jazeera was recently arrested by the junta and released soon after. Who knows whether Al Jazeera was forced into doing the interview to include in a news report at its website as a condition of the editors’s safety and release. I wonder how the interview came about and when and where it took place. I have not seen much publicity about the film.

I have no doubt that Al Jazeera accurately quoted Hemeti in its report and that the timing of its publication and interview is an attempt by Hemeti to reduce the power, support and popularity of PM Hamdok in order to justify the coup and frame Hamdok as a complicit participant in it for personal gain.

Here at Sudan Watch there is a copy of a recent news report by AP featuring one of PM Hamdok's former colleagues recently released from detention who said they felt a coup could happen but didn't know when. 

This is the exact quote: "Faisal Saleh, an advisor to Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, told The Associated Press that security forces took him blindfolded from his home in the early hours of Oct. 25. “We were expecting that there was a military coup coming," said Saleh, who also served as minister of information from 2019 until earlier this year. ”We just didn't know how or when it would take place." 

Aljazeera's interview with Hemeti catches him red handed on film working against Sudan blatantly risking its destabilisation and causing suffering to its people again. He's poorly educated, dim witted and doesn't understand English. He's so ruthless and cruel he could be a psychopath. For him to be in charge of Sudan would be a disaster. It'd plunge the country back into the dark ages upending millions of Sudanese lives.

Nowadays, wars like the current one between the US and China need not be conducted in the old ways of the past. They can be a war of words and cyber attacks. The pen is mightier than the sword. Note the tags at the end of this post and the one labelled '51 names for ICC’. 

Right now, the world is in a precarious state. Russia is agitating to undermine the west. Ethiopia is suffering war (see maps below). France and others and the UN have advised their people in Ethiopia to leave. 

I've waited 18 years for the time to be right for Messrs Bashir, Burhan, Dagalo to be tried by the ICC. The people of Sudan deserve to see justice served and to know that anyone suspected of a crime can be apprehended and tried fairly in a court and treated as innocent until proven guilty.

If a suspected criminal is innocent, they’d have nothing to fear. They'd be fairly treated and released if found innocent. The people of Sudan need to know that criminals and war criminals cannot walk freely with impunity. 

Only by holding Messrs Dagalo, Burhan, Bashir to account will young Sudanese people understand that what is happening now, and why, is the culmination of a 30+ year story filled with death, destruction and unspeakable horrors inflicted on millions of Sudanese civilians, forcing survivors to flee for their lives with just the clothes they were wearing.

I'm writing this in haste. Time is of the essence. If there are any errors in this urgent open message to the ICC, it doesn't matter. What matters is that Dagalo, Burhan and Bashir are questioned under oath, asap.

I’ll leave this note with a link to Aljazeera's report and its must-see video interview at the top of this page before I go on strike in protest of the wicked claims made by Hemeti in his power-grab for the presidency.

I shan't return until the ICC issues a statement explaining its findings and intentions regarding Messrs Bashir, Burhan, Dagalo. Sad to say, Darfur is under attack again. God help the Sudanese people. Peace and love, Ingrid x

Here is a copy of an exclusive report at Al Jazeera.com

Written by Al Jazeera.com English - reprinted online by MSN.com

Published at Al Jazeera.com dated Friday 26 November 2021 c.11am GMT

Title: Sudan’s PM Hamdok backed military takeover, says general

Deputy head of Sudan’s sovereign council, General Dagalo, tells Al Jazeera that reinstated Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was part of discussions leading to the military takeover in October.

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was deposed by the military on October 25 but reinstated as interim premier November 21 [File: Ashraf Shazly/AFP]

The deputy head of Sudan’s governing sovereign council, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has said that Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was aware of last month’s military takeover before it happened and was “completely agreeable” to it.

Hamdok was deposed by the military on October 25 but reinstated as interim premier after signing a deal on Sunday with Sudan’s top general to restore the transition to civilian rule.

“What happened on October 25 was the ultimate outcome of a long process. Many discussions were made, and many initiatives proposed,” Dagalo, also known as Hemeti, told Al Jazeera in an exclusive interview released on Friday.

“The prime minister himself proposed two initiatives during the meetings. We were left with three options, the best of which was the move we took, and it was completely agreeable to the prime minister himself,” said Dagalo. “We did not make such a move on our own.”

Reporting from Khartoum, Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar said that the claims were a “bold allegation” since many Sudanese people have been asking whether Hamdok was part of the military takeover or had been aware it would happen.

“When I asked him, he said he didn’t know that the military coup was coming,” said Atas, referring to a recent interview with the prime minister after he was reinstated this week.

“Now the deputy chairman says they had actually discussed it with Hamdok and he knew of the military takeover before it took place,” said Atas.

“People were already questioning his independence. After this allegation, people will question his legitimacy even more,” he added.

On October 25, top General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan dissolved the government, arrested the civilian leadership, and declared a state of emergency – drawing widespread international condemnation and triggering widespread anti-coup protests.

Hamdok was placed under house arrest after the military seized power.

On November 11, al-Burhan issued a decree creating a new 14-member ruling sovereign council, with himself at the head.

The coup, more than two years after a popular uprising forced the removal of longtime strongman Omar al-Bashir, derailed a transition towards democratic elections and drew international criticism.

The 14-point deal between Hamdok and the military, signed in the presidential palace in Khartoum on Sunday, provided for the release of all political prisoners detained during the coup and stipulated that a 2019 constitutional declaration be the basis for a political transition, according to details read out on state television.

Following the deal, the reinstated premier told Al Jazeera that he would form a “technocratic government” made up of qualified professionals to lead the country to elections by June 2023.

The deal was largely welcomed by the international community, but Sudanese pro-democracy activists have rejected it as an “attempt to legitimise the coup”.

They demand that the military should not be part of any future Sudanese government and Sudanese people have continued to protest against the military’s involvement in politics since the agreement was signed.

“Tens of thousands of people have been back to the streets, insisting on their demands,” said Serdar, who added that the formation of a new cabinet and the release of political prisoners are the two main issues yet to be resolved.

Twelve cabinet ministers also submitted their resignation to Hamdok in protest against the deal between the prime minister and the military.

At least 41 people have been killed during confrontations with security forces since the coup, as security forces have at times used live rounds to disperse anti-coup demonstrators.

View reprint at MSN: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/sudan-e2-80-99s-pm-hamdok-backed-military-takeover-says-general/ar-AAR9JCg

View original report and Aljazeera's 26-minute video interview with Hemeti entitled Sudan's General Dagalo: Military takeover was the 'best option': https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/26/sudan-pm-hamdok-backed-military-takeover-general-dagalo

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Ethiopia’s war triggers fears in Kenya, South Sudan

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: Here are two maps showing Ethiopia's proximity to Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Eritrea, Somalia.

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From the website of The International Criminal Court (ICC) 

Trying individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression

The Court is participating in a global fight to end impunity, and through international criminal justice, the Court aims to hold those responsible accountable for their crimes and to help prevent these crimes from happening again. 

​​The Court cannot reach these goals alone. As a court of last resort, it seeks to complement, not replace, national Courts. Governed by an international treaty called the Rome Statute, the ICC is the world’s first permanent international criminal court. 

Towards stability and lastin​g peace

Justice is a key prerequisite for lasting peace. International justice can contribute to long‐term peace, stability and equitable development in post‐conflict societies. These elements are foundational for building a future free ​of violence. ​​

Read more: https://www.icc-cpi.int/about

Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir

President of the Republic of Sudan since 16 October 1993 at time of warrants. Arrest warrants: 4 March 2009 and 12 July 2010

Charges: five counts of crimes against humanity: murder, extermination, forcible transfer, torture, and rape; two counts of war crimes: intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population as such or against individual civilians not taking part in hostilities, and pillaging; three counts of genocide: by killing, by causing serious bodily or mental harm, and by deliberately inflicting on each target group conditions of life calculated to bring about the group's physical destruction, allegedly committed at least between 2003 and 2008 in Darfur, Sudan

Read more: https://www.icc-cpi.int/darfur/albashir

See the other defendants at large including Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein, Ahmad Muhammad Harun ("Ahmad Harun"), Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain here: 

https://www.icc-cpi.int/defendants?k=At%20large

RSF's Hemeti Dagalo is blackmailing the international community into recognising his control of Sudan

The man who did so much to contribute to the flight of more than 350,000 Darfuri refugees to Chad is now attempting to blackmail the international community into recognizing his illegitimate, coup-born military control of Sudan. He cares nothing for the people he threatens to use pic.twitter.com/G3xhOFDhJp

— Eric Reeves (@sudanreeves) December 1, 2021

Sudan: UNSC consultations on situation since coup

Report from and by What's In Blue dated Wednesday 10 November 2021

Sudan: Consultations on the situation since the coup

Tomorrow (11 November), Security Council members will convene for closed consultations to discuss the situation in Sudan. The meeting was requested by the UK (the penholder on Sudan), Estonia, France, Ireland, Norway, and the US. Special Representative for Sudan and head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) Volker Perthes is expected to brief. At the time of writing, no outcome was expected.

Perthes is expected to update members on the latest developments in Sudan following the military coup d’état announced on 25 October by the Chairperson of the Transitional Sovereign Council, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Perthes’ latest briefing to the Council on the situation in the country took place on 26 October in closed consultations. (For background, see our What’s in Blue story from 26 October.)

Since 25 October, mass demonstrations opposing the coup have been taking place in the capital, Khartoum, and across the country. In several instances, protestors have been met with excessive force, including live ammunition, according to the Joint UN Human Rights Office in Sudan. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet noted in a 5 November statement that at least 13 civilians have reportedly been killed by military and security forces since 25 October, and hundreds more injured. Arrests have continued, including of political leaders and journalists. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok remains under house arrest at his residence. At the time of writing, the nationwide shutdown of the internet imposed by the military authorities since 25 October remained in place, despite a Sudanese court having ordered its restoration on 9 November.

At tomorrow’s meeting, Council members will likely seek further details on the mediation efforts underway and on the role played by UNITAMS in this regard. In a 1 November press conference, Perthes said that the situation in Sudan was “stable but tense”. Among other things, he said that multiple mediation efforts are underway in Khartoum by “a host of actors” and that the UN continues to play a good offices role in supporting some of these initiatives, including by providing ideas and coordinating with some of these mediators. Perthes emphasised that UNITAMS is engaging with all Sudanese actors across the political spectrum, as well as with regional and international interlocutors, with the AU being a main partner. He added that he is in contact with countries such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and South Sudan. In response to a question about which countries could exert diplomatic influence on the situation, he responded that the US, Egypt, South Sudan and “wider regional neighbours” could play a role. On 4 November, Perthes met with AU High Representative for the Horn of Africa Olusegun Obasanjo. They reportedly discussed regional dynamics, shared efforts towards de-escalation, release of detainees, and restoration of the transition through dialogue.

According to Perthes’ statement at the 1 November press conference, UNITAMS has been in contact with several Sudanese stakeholders, including al-Burhan, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as General Hemeti), Prime Minister Hamdok, members of the opposition alliance Forces of Freedom and Change (FCC), and civil society representatives. On 5 November, UNITAMS released a statement strongly condemning the detention of members of the FCC’s Central Council after their meeting with Perthes, which took place near the UNITAMS headquarters on the previous day. The statement called on “the military leadership to cease arresting politicians and activists and to stop committing further human rights violations”.

The Human Rights Council (HRC) held a special session on Sudan on 5 November, following a request by the UK, the US, Norway, and Germany (with the support of at least one-third of the HRC’s members). Bachelet briefed, saying among other things that “the whereabouts of most of those arrested remains unknown” and that the “disproportionate and deadly use of force by the Sudan Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces, and other security forces…must end immediately”. She also noted that all radio stations and television channels in the country have ceased broadcasting, except for channels which are controlled by the military authorities. Bachelet added that several offices of civil society organisations have been raided. At the 5 November meeting, the HRC adopted a resolution, without a vote, which “condemns in the strongest possible terms the military takeover” and decides to appoint, for one year, a special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Sudan (A/HRC/S-32/L.1). Council members China and Russia, which are currently on the HRC, disassociated themselves from the consensus on the resolution.

On 26 October, the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) met on Sudan and adopted a communiqué that expressed “deep concern over the military takeover in Sudan” and strongly condemned the “seizure of power by the Sudanese military”. It decided to immediately suspend Sudan across all AU activities “until the effective restoration of the civilian-led Transitional Authority”.

On 28 October, Security Council members issued a press statement (SC/14678) expressing “serious concern about the military takeover in Sudan on 25 October” and calling on Sudan’s military authorities to restore the civilian-led transitional government. Among other things, Council members called upon all parties to refrain from violence and emphasised the importance of “full respect for human rights, including the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression”.

It seems that there were some areas of disagreement during the negotiations on the press statement. Apparently, the UK and several other members would have preferred stronger language condemning, rather than expressing concern over, the situation. (Council members had previously adopted a press statement on 22 September that “condemned in the strongest terms the attempt on 21 September to disrupt Sudan’s transition by force”.) Members agreed on the term “military takeover” rather than “coup” in the 28 October press statement. Secretary-General António Guterres and Bachelet have both referred to it as a “coup” in their statements. Council members such as the UK, Estonia and Norway have also referred to it as a “coup”, including when appearing at media stakeouts on 26 October. Apparently, Russia and the US have not characterised it as a “coup”. The Troika on Sudan (the UK, the US and Norway) have also referred to it as a “military takeover”, as did the AU PSC in its communiqué.

Tags: Insights on Africa, Sudan

View original:  https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2021/11/sudan-consultations-on-the-situation-since-the-coup.php