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Gambari repeats his mistakes of Burma in Sudan
By: Abdellatif Abdelrahman
In past three weeks, I have been very closely following the disputed conundrum story of Kalma IDPs camp between the United Nation African Union forces in Darfur known as UNAMID and the Islamists regime in Khartoum. In this bizarre story, Khartoum asked the UNAMID to handover six local leaders (five men and one women) sought safe haven at the UNAMID’s Community Policing Centre in the day of the violence that took place on 29th of July 2010 in Kalma IDPs camp. On first of August 2010 on an statement published on Sudan tribune after the occurrence of violence in Kalma IDPs camp; the UN man in charge of UNAMID force Ibrahim Gambari told the government of Sudan that if the government of Sudan persist to charge six camp leaders alleged of instigating violence in the camp; then the government of Sudan should directly communicate with Secretary General of the United Nation Ban- Ki Moon through Sudan Foreign Ministry. He added that, the UN should make sure that the six camp leaders wanted by Khartoum would have fair treatment and trial.
However; it did not last long from his first statement when the head of the AU/UN mission Gambari reversed from his first position and revealed his real intentions what they have in common with Khartoum when he threatened the IDPs to hand them over to the Sudanese authorities if they refuse to accept joint IDPs camps patrolling between UNAMID and Khartoum police units that are composed of Janjaweeds elements.
In my opinion published on Sudan tribune last week and was entitled “Bashir’s last part of genocide plan”. I said that, the people who would implement the new plan of Islamists Government in Khartoum to dismantle the IDPs camps are, the presidential assistant Minni Minnawi, the three governors of Darfur besides Ghazi Salah Eddin Al-Attabani. But it seems that Gambari is also approached by the regime to become one of its tools, and I don’t know who will appear next on the disgraceful list of openly sidelining with genocide perpetrators?
On U.N radio Miraya FM Gambari said that the cause of the tension in IDPs camps was due to the existence of some extremists elements within the IDP’s. These extremist elements receive rumors from those staying in Diaspora, especially spoilers of the peace process; he further said. .The UNAMID is working closely with the Organization of the Arab League (OAL), the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and with Qatari Government to reorganize the Social service and provide security so that the IDPs can return to their areas; Gambari concluded.
From the above mentioned statements it’s clear that Gambari became part of the regime’s plan since he arrived to Sudan; to push on the throats of genocide victims what so called the internal peace engineered by Gahazi Salah Elddin; when they lately discovered that Doha talks was just loosing of money and energy without concrete results on the ground. Its also worry some for the victims of the genocide to listen to Gambari mentioning Organization of Islamic Conference and Organization of Arab League who are not organs of the UNAMID which Gambari is heading. Nevertheless, these organizations for the genocide victims are organizations that openly supported the genocide regime in Khartoum to commit their crimes. Hence Gambari is implementing the agenda of Khartoum regime in a way or another by agreeing on forcible removal of the IDPs against their consent, and in total absence of conditions for safe and voluntary return. This plan is aimed to subjugate the returnees to the brutal killing of the regime and its Janjaweed militias.
Furthermore Gambari knows that, the tension in Kalma and Hamidiyya IDPs camp was caused by Khartoum’s regime, after it totally failed to make Doha peace talks a reality. The Islamist regime in Khartoum resorted to it’s cowardly tactics and distributed arm weapons to it’s agents inside the Kalma, to let the IDPs fight among themselves and get the excuse to intervene through claiming protection of one side Through the history of Sudan, this is a method used by Sudan Jallabas on fighting their enemies. They do not directly engage themselves in wars but use proxies to fight for them. The war that lasted 22 years in South Sudan and other areas of the margin was prolonged by such ideology. In North of Sudan they say “Dug Al Abd Bil Abd” which mean hit a slave with a slave. Even the use of Janjweed who belong to Darfur to fight people of Darfur was part of that plan. I remembered one day Bashir appeared on Sudan TV and said that people of Darfur are the one who kill each other and they accused the government in Khartoum of killing them. The same statement he mentioned on South of Sudan when his militias killed innocent people on Malakal; Bashir also said that people of South Sudan are killing each other through tribalism, so it will be very difficult to have their own country. If the people in South Sudan under such conditions took their independent then their tribal conflicts will affect the north Sudan.
Hence; Gambari’s report to the incident is misleading and intended to criminalize the victims and establish aground for the regime to make their demands. The scenario becomes clear when we read in the media that Ibrahim Gambari held a series of talks in Khartoum, where he pledged to cooperate with local authorities (the governor of Southern Darfur State Musa Kasha) to clear the camp of weapons and to ease the tension there. In addition to the Sudanese daily Al-Shafa reported on 12th of this month that, Gambari reassured the Sudanese officials during a meeting with the deputy governor of South Darfur State Abdel Karim Mousa assuring that he will hand over the six IDPs leaders. It’s just a matter of time; Gambari concluded.
On the other hand; when France proposed a draft for UNSC to create special impartial panel of investigators to investigate the atrocities in Kalma; China and Russia Khartoum’s main arm suppliers rejected the proposed draft to investigate the killings in the IDPs. Such act proves beyond doubt that the six innocent IDPs who thought refuge at the UNAMID are further victims of well orchestrated by international games of interests.
The question that needs answer is why Gambari who receives big salary from the UN in addition to other allowances would humiliate himself to stand against the victim? Why Gambari who suppose to maintain total neutrality exposing innocent IDPs to their killers? If Gambari is acting for the UN Secretary General; so where is the credibility of the UNAMID in preventing the impunity against the voiceless, innocent civilians of Darfur?
I have every reason to believe that Gambari had pocketed his price and now working with the regime to neutralize any threat to the Doha peace process within the IDPs camps. Therefore; he can no longer be trusted by the IDPs, especially when he explicitly told IDPs representative that, he is not there to protect them but to promote efforts to achieve peace in the region.
So it would be truth to say that, Gambari who blessed Burma junta’s abuses and human rights violations today is repeating his unpardonable mistakes of Burma with the IDPs of Darfur.
When Gambari was sent to Sudan, Burma activists declared him a failure. “He has no sort of success that he can show” said Quigley of the U.S Campaign for Burma. Things have gone from bad to worse during his tenure. He further added. According to the Campaign for Burma UK, in the first two years of Gambari’s mission, the number of political prisoners in Burma almost doubled and more than 130,000 people were forced from their homes in an ethnic cleansing campaign; nonetheless Gambari was never able to start talks between the regime and the National League for Democracy (NLD).
Gambari who was vehemently criticized by Jennifer Quigley of the U.S campaign for Burma that, he is not in a degree of realism and honesty because he would keep saying that his mission, while slow-moving was progressing. And when Cyclone Nagris slammed Burma in May 2008 and Burma junta blocked International aid Gambari was nowhere to be seen. Typically as the case today in Darfur; the genocide regime of Khartoum is starving the IDPs to death, while Gambari is immersed on the trivial issue of innocent IDPs; in stead of taking tougher stand against the regime in order to break the Humanitarian blockage. Furthermore, Gambari who was entrusted by AU/UN to mediate in the cause of Darfur, during his ignominious role in Abacha’s regime was once quoted saying that “Nigerians don’t need democracy because democracy is not food. It’s not their priority now”.
The president of save Darfur Coalition Mr. Jerry Fowler said about Gambari during the threshold of his career in Darfur “My main concern is that his focus would be on accommodation of the regime, and that would leave perpetuation of an unacceptable and unstable status quo”. Today the prophecy expressed by Mr. Fowler’s over Gambari is fulfilled; when became a collaborator and tool of genocide regime in Khartoum. As he was not just perpetuating the status quo but going extra miles to implement the last phase of the regime’s genocide plan against the very people he has a responsibility to protect.
However, the fact that Nigeria has biggest peacekeeping mission within the UN forces in Africa as well as on the ground in Darfur, therefore; Nigeria, should not be a ticket to reward biased individuals who destroys the reputation of the country he belongs by not adhering to the ethics of their profession.
Also I do not see a reason why the UN secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is putting conditions to the genocide regime to hand over innocent civilians who took refuge at UNAMID offices seeking protection from their killers. Who drove those victims out of their quite villages to the miserable concentrations camps? Is it not the same regime?
Its ridiculous that the fugitive President whose case was referred to the ICC by the UNSC is moving freely, adamantly refusing to hand over himself, and other two war criminals. The UNSC instead of to provide necessary assistance to the ICC to arrest Al-Bashir is shamefully giving conditions to hand the regime the innocent victims.
Yes for justice, no for impunity.
The writer is based in Kampala, Uganda and can be reached at [email protected]
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