SudaneseOnline: سودانيزاونلاين

Weekly Briefing: January 20th 2012
Sudan Democracy First Group
 Weekly Briefing: “Because of one person that wants to destroy the world? Arrest him! I want Omer Al Bashir to be held accountable in the ICC”
Halima Kega, a survivor from war in South Korodfan, Yida Refuges ’camp
Starting this week, Sudan Democracy First Group ( SDFG), in partnership with the Eyes and Years News Team, will bring voices of the victims of the humanitarian and grave human rights crimes crisis in South Kordofan and Blue Nile. The SDFG briefing will include every week photos and video recording of narratives of survivals from the wars of the National Congress Party (NCP). 
This briefing features a video interview with Halima Kega, a refugee at Yida camp in the Republic of South Sudan, who fled from the war in South Kordofan, Sudan. Halima was interviewed by Ryan Boyette of Eyes and Years News Team. The full interview can be accessed at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-B-EiGkVgY 
Halima Kega tells her story In a simple, intuitive and painful way, echoing the stories of more than a million victims and survivors from the current wars of the National Congress Party (NCP), including more than five hundred thousand internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees from South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
Transformation not quick fixes
Through the interview Halima teaches us what international community and Sudanese society failed to learn during the long running crisis of Darfur. She tells us that justice, peace and a stable humanitarian situation cannot be materialized without handling them in their intersectionality and interdependency. Striving for “peace and improving humanitarian conditions without looking at how to challenge the status quo and underlying social inequalities, in particular  holding accountable those in power who are responsible for war and famine only wastes time and effort, deepening the problems of injustice, impunity and  ultimately prolonging the crisis for the long term. The failure to grasp this lesson in Darfur now sees the people of South Kordofan and Blue Nile suffering the same destruction: the pattern of crimes perpetrated by the same actors.



Tackling the humanitarian crisis
It is seven months in South Kordofan and four months in Blue Nile since the humanitarian situation sharply deteriorated. The NCP continues its policy of using food as a weapon by blocking of humanitarian aid. The continuation of this policy will lead to famine in less than two months, constituting a further NCP war crime..
SDFG strongly adds its voice to the voice of Halima Kega in the attached video, and calls upon the international community to urgently and seriously address the humanitarian crisis in Blue Nile and South Kordofan before it enters the famine stage in March. SDFG also calls upon the international community not to succumb to the same blackmail and time-buying strategies that NCP has mastered and exercised as tactic in Darfur’s humanitarian dilemma. SDFG urges the international community to exert sufficient pressure on NCP and the SPLM/N to develop a tripartite agreement with the United Nations to ensure delivery of aid to those who need it. If such agreement is not reached, and regardless of the positions and reactions of the NCP, the international community must adopt options of direct intervention that would allow for humanitarian assistance to be delivered.
Halting the cycle: demanding accountability
 Halima, in the attached video, calls for the arrest and holding accountable of those who caused her current suffering, naming President Omer Al Basher. SDFG also calls upon international community to seriously tackle the file of massive human rights atrocities which have been committed in the two areas. The scale, pattern and nature of these crimes, according to the reports of international and domestic human rights organizations, constitute crimes against humanity and  potentially genocide. SDFG, in this regard, calls for the establishment of an independent international commission of inquiry to investigate these crimes. International and regional justice institutions should also adopt variety of options to tackle the human rights and accountability. It is vital that fact finding missions to the IDPs and refugees communities must be conducted to record the atrocities and suffering that Halima Kega and hundreds of thousands of victims have faced.
Halima’s demand
“My name is Halima Kega. I came from Katcha. I left Katcha on 25th September and came here to Yida. And since the day we came here to Yida we were worn out. We are completely worn out. Why? The airplanes have not given us a rest. Omar has not given us rest from his planes. We do not refuse the fighting and the fighting is still continuing. ..but what is reason for bombing the Nuba. We are worn out in this bush with our young children. And we are hungry even though the UN is here. Omer runs behind us up to this place and attacks us with his airplanes. This guy ( Omer Al basher), what did Nuba do to him? We need our rights but he is not willing to give us our rights. He only wants to kill us with his airplanes. I am very angry with Omar. Any person that is responsible, in God’s name you must arrest Omer! Arrest him and hold him accountable! As we the Nuba are poor. We have nothing. We are only looking for food, and he is only bombing us with the planes. What did we do? We run with our small children but we left old people behind. There is no one that can bring them water or food. People died in the road because of thirst and hunger. Because of who? Because of him ( Omer Al Bashir)! Because we want our rights and he does not want to give it to us. He wants to attack and kill us.
I am very angry with Omer Al Bashir. The ICC must arrest him and hold him accountable. The people of Nuba are dying and we do not know the reason. The children of Nuba are dying and we do not know the reason. We as elderly are just dying on the road. Walking 24 hours, we do not know the reason. The reason is that we want our rights. Omer, I want him to be arrested and held accountable. What is wrong? What did Nuba do? We are here and the cold is with us among other things. We thank God that people from outside are helping us. If the fighting is continuing where we are in this bush, then we find a better place. I can follow the people all the way to Salva Kiir house. I want to go. I do not want to stay here and every morning hear Rrrrg, Rrrg ( airplane) over our heads. What did we do? If he is fighting with the soldiers in the battle then no problem, but the poor, elderly, orphans, and small children, what does he needs with their souls? He should look for the place of soldiers and fight with them. What did women do that he wants to kill us. Women do not have guns nor enemies. He leaves the place of soldiers and attacks civilians!  I want Omer to be held accountable by the ICC. My name is Halima Kega, and I want Omer Al Bashir to be arrested and held accountable!
I will stand before him and tell him I want my rights! We are forsaken. Especially the Nuba, we are forsaken. We do not have money or food. We are barefoot, naked and sick. We are not getting any development from this Omer Al bashir’s work. He only works for his people in the North. Who does he work for? Even the people in Khartoum they say they belong to him, they are also suffering. They are eating the crumbs and eating trash. They collect the people to work. If someone works well they still fire them without salary. That is their benefit? There is no benefit for following them! I just want Omer to be arrest and held accountable in the ICC! If they do not arrest I will not forgive them!
I experience injustice. Look at my foot. In 1994 a bullet wounded my foot. And up until today I must run from this war. I am 32 years old and I am still running because of war. All my property is wasted. Even my children cannot find rest. Even me their mother has not found rest. What do you want with us Omer? Is he a goat, are you waiting for him to get fat? Arrest him and hold him accountable in the ICC! Do not leave him alone. This is what I say. I am angry. I am a victim. I have nothing.   I do not have a bed. I sleep in a plastic sheet in the bush. I stay hungry. Mosquitoes are on me. Because of one person that want to destroy the world? What do you want with him? Arrest him! I want Omer to be held accountable in the ICC. If all the people forgive him, I will still not forgive him. I do not want Omer to be left alone. If they arrested Sadam or whoever, President Obama needs to arrest him and hold Omer accountable for us. We are victims. We do not have anything good. We are not living in a good way. All these people are dying in this bush because of Omer. Why? What did the poor Nuba do? What did the small children do?  Hold Omer Al Basher accountable! The countries should not leave Omer alone. If he is standing before me, I will tell him. I am not afraid, I only fear God. It is impossible for one person to destroy thousands! Why? What do you want with him? Is he a goat, are you waiting for him to get fat?
Arrest him, and kill him! And the person that comes after him and takes the power will not be like him! So he will be a straight, just and equal person.  That is the short talk what I have to say!”
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Sudan Democracy First Group: SDFG is a broad coalition of democrats and for Sudan activists, trade unionists and academics, displaced persons and public actors representing Sudan different cultural and geographic backgrounds. The main agenda of the initiative is to voice the concerns of the voiceless Sudanese people around issues of democratization and its intersection with issues of peace, justice and development. SDFG is connected and coordinated to other democratic initiatives, in addition to independent civil society. 
The Weekly Briefing is compiling and analyzing some of the major development on issue of peace, democracy, justice and human rights. For more information and reports, please visit http://democracygroup.blogspot.com