Sudan comes under fire from the international community once again, writes Gamal Nkrumah In a famous bon mot, Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir went on air in a publicly televised interview, pledging to reject foreign intervention in Sudan's westernmost war- torn province of Darfur. "I swear by God the Great, Wallahi Al-Adhim," he growled, in defiant mood. "I swear that Darfur will be the graveyard of the foreign invaders," he added. In the eyes of many Sudanese, he was absolutely right. His popularity, in all probability, soared sky high. And, he knows it. In Sudan, like in many other African and Muslim nations, too close an association with the United States and its Western allies is seen as a liability. President Al-Bashir's comments come at a time when the International Criminal Court (ICC) accused Sudan's Humanitarian Affairs Minister Ahmed Haroun and the notorious Janjaweed Militia Leader Ali Mohamed Ali Abdel-Rahman, better known as Ali Kushayb, as war criminals. The ICC chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, told reporters that the two men were suspected of 51 counts of war crimes. The Sudanese authorities reaction was swift and acerbically terse. "We are not concerned with, nor do we accept, what the ICC prosecutor has opted for," declared Sudanese Justice Minister Mohamed Ali Mohamed Ali Al-Mardi said. "The evidence the prosecutor referred mounts to lies given to him by people who bear arms against the state, bear arms against citizens and kill innocent people in Darfur," he explained. Sudan's defiance of the ICC, did not go down well in Washington, nor in other Western capitals. "The evidence shows that Ahmed Haroun provided arms for the Janjaweed from a budget that was unlimited and not publicly audited," retorted Moreno-Ocampo. "We hope that the work of the entire court will help to ensure the end of impunity for the crimes committed in Darfur," he added. Moreno-Ocampo has a point. If the Sudanese authorities are so scornful about the ICC's accusation, why did so many African nations refuse to allow Khartoum to be granted the presidency of African Union (AU)? Moreno-Ocampo knows that Khartoum is wrong to defy the ICC and disrespect the international community. He also understands that Sudan can get away with ignoring his revelations and accusations. All the same, the Sudanese authorities's bravado carries a risk to its reputation and international standing. "The evidence shows that Ahmed Haroun provided arms for the Janjaweed from a budget that was unlimited and not publicly audited," Moreno-Ocampo noted. Sudan, however, has never had it so good -- economically speaking. The Chinese, in particular, and other Asians in general are investing massive sums in Sudan. Worse, as far as the Americans are concerned, the succession of Bush administration foreign policy gaffes from Afghanistan to Iraq, have made it impossible for Washington to have the will to invade and occupy Darfur. The Bush administration might egg its African allies on to fight a war by proxy, as they did in Somalia using the Ethiopians. The Americans, however, are not capable of invading Darfur. They have too many quagmires elsewhere in the region. It is in this context that the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafy has gripped rival Sudanese and Chadian leaders by the scruff of the neck. He summoned them to his tent and it seems that they accepted a truce. Al-Bashir and his Chadian counterpart, Idriss Deby, were seen smiling to the cameras. Was it a cheer or were they blowing a raspberry? We shall never know for sure. What is certain is that it was a clever move on the part of the Libyan leader. That is one step. But, there needs to be other steps taken by the AU and the international community at large. It is a bit rich that the Washington criticises the goings-on in Sudan at a time when its hands are bloodied in Afghanistan and in Iraq. Coming hard on the heels of its debacles in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush administration can hardly afford another blunder in Darfur. Regional considerations also come into play. Moreno-Ocampo's criticism are correct, but he happens to be right. The world and Sudan's neighbours must be seen to do something. The sudanese authorities should also counter any suspicions of their complicity in, and responsibility for war crimes, in Darfur. Khartoum must also reconsider its response to the ICC. Yes, the Sudanese authorities should think again.
