The Observer (Kampala)
Joseph A. Manoba
24 June 2009
opinion
Systematic acts of rape, murder and pillage are some of the crimes [being committed against] the Darfuri people of neighbouring Sudan 24 hours, seven days! Who is a Darfuri man, woman and child that he or she should suffer this cycle of violence? Are the Darfuri tribes not human that these crimes should be perpetrated against them at will and with impunity, and that the perpetrators should not be held accountable for their actions?
One thing is certain in my mind, and I believe in the minds of the leaders of the Sudan and the African Union, and that is that the Darfuris are human beings whose cultures are pieced up together with the rest of the world and that this humanity is one with the rest of the world.
So, why should it be that after decades of being subjected to genocidal violence consistently, efforts to end impunity and hold persons suspected of perpetrating the crimes committed against the ordinary civilian in Darfur that the African Union has failed to protect, is becoming political in the eyes of African leaders and scholars in as far as the indictment of President Bashir is concerned?
Should the systematic rape, violence, destruction and pillaging of property, forcible transfer, etc., committed against the Darfuris be justifiable in the arguments put forth, including that the fragile peace in Southern Sudan will crumble, or that the perpetrators of crimes committed in Iraq, Palestine etc., should first be held accountable?
President Bashir, his government, his envoys around the world and other like-thinking members of the public should be reminded that the Darfuris were born free and are entitled to enjoy their rights to life, protection and justice, among others. And these rights are not conditioned to the enjoyment of rights in Iraq or elsewhere. They are individual rights expected to be enjoyed in accordance with the Constitution of Sudan and International Law.
The said persons ought to be further reminded that the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is responsible for the indictment of Bashir, is not an executioner which upon receiving the suspect will place him before a firing squad, but rather an international criminal tribunal that will hold a fair trial with due process guarantees enabling the suspect to have his defence against the allegations of perpetrating crimes against humanity and war crimes with the assistance of counsel of his choice.
Who is a president of an African country that he should not be held accountable if he is suspected of perpetrating serious crimes against the people he ought to be protecting? Perhaps it is not African to hold accountable a person of authority such as a head of state or government even when it is suspected that such a person is responsible for violence and perpetration of crimes against innocent African civilian communities!
Today it is Darfur that is subjected to the atrocious cycle of violence, tomorrow it could be Zanzibar, Ethiopia or Ghana, and the violent scenes witnessed in Darfur or Rwanda or Bosnia could come to life again.
How long should this go on? How long should an ordinary citizen be subjected to such suffering while the perpetrators enjoy the protection of power? The state has the responsibility to protect and ensure that genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, etc., are not meted out on innocent civilians with impunity.
The writer is an advocate.
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In his piece entitled “ White Collar War Crimes, Black African Fall Guys,”
investigative journalist Keith Snow writes:
First note that the ICC can now be viewed as a tool of hegemonic U.S. foreign policy,
where the weapons deployed by the U.S. and its allies include the accusations of, and
indictments for, human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
To understand this, we can ask WHY NO WHITE MAN HAS YET BEEN CHARGED
with these or other offenses at the ICC (International Criminal Court) which now holds
five black African warlords and seeks to incarcerate and bring to trial another black man,
also an Arab, Omar Bashir.
Why hasn’t George W. Bush been indicted ? Or what about Donald Rumsfeld ?
Dick Cheney? Henry Kissinger? Ehud Olmert? Tony Blair?
The sad fact is that the International Criminal Court has become terribly
politicized, as has the entire international justice apparatus.
The ICC has issued indictments, for the first time in history, against a sitting head of
state. Meanwhile, according to Snow, an Israeli weapons dealer, also a reputed Mossad
operative, is revealed to be shipping weapons into Sudan with Pentagon support.
And Belgium changed its law rather than prosecute Ariel Sharon for war crimes.
The double standard cries out to us.
One country in the West, however, increasingly stands out as a place where
justice can be found?and that is Spain. With its landmark indictment of
Pinochet and its current consideration of Israeli war crimes in Lebanon and
U.S. torture in Guantanamo, we increasingly look to the Spanish Courts with
hope. It was the Spanish courts that returned indictments against Rwandan
soldiers for genocide even as the world coddles U.S. proxy Rwanda and its
leader, Paul Kagame.
[allthingscynthiamckinney.com]
BY PEACE SHALL Many Be deceived (Daniel 8:25) .
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President Obama’s UNITED NATIONS AMBASSADOR SUSAN RICE cut her teeth on the RWANDA MASSACRE….OOOPs!!! She said.
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[http://ixquick.com/do/metasearch.pl?query=Susan+Rice+Rwanda&cat=web&pl=ff& language=english]
OBAMA DECEPTIONS
#1
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrpRocaEfQE]
#2 Here is evidence of Point 2 of the Georgia Guidestones on Reproduction .
Don't be deceived :
[http://www.infowars.com/?p=7259]
Here are search result links to what the Georgia Guidestones are
[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Guidestones ]
#3
BY PEACE SHALL Many Be deceived (Daniel 8:25) .
DOES THE TERM PEACEKEEPERS ring a Bell ?
Ask the people in Rwanda (who survived that Peace-keeping) about the
United Nations PEACEKEEPERS .
President Obama’s UNITED NATIONS AMBASSADOR SUSAN RICE cut her teeth on
the RWANDA MASSACRE…. OOOPs!!! She said.
(Here’s a Search Link To Many Witnesses To THE NEW U.N. RICE MONSTER)
[http://ixquick.com/do/metasearch.pl?query=Susan+Rice+Rwanda&cat=web&pl=ff& language=english]
[This inspiring poem was featuring in the movie “Coach Carter ”]
Our Deepest Fear Is Not That We Are Inadequate, Our Deepest Fear Is That We Are Powerful Beyond Measure. It Is Our Light , Not Our Darkness That Most Frightens Us.
We Ask Ourselves, Who Am I To Be Brilliant, Gorgeous, Talented, And Fabulous ?
Actually Who Are We Not To Be ? You Are A Child Of God.
Your Playing Small Doesn’t Serve The World.
There Is Nothing Enlightened About Shrinking So That Other People Won’t Feel Insecure Around You.
We Are All Meant To Shine, As Children Do.
We Were Born To Make Manifest The Glory Of God That Is Within Us.
It’s Not Just In Some Of Us; It’s In Everyone.
And When We Let Our Own Light Shine We Unconsciously Give Other People Permission To Do The Same.
And As We Are Liberated From Our Own Fear, Our Presence Automatically Liberates Others
- Marianne Williamson -
[NOTE – BEING AFRAID AND REFUSING TO GET INVOLVED WON’T STOP US FROM DYING. BUT BEING AFRAID CAN PREVENT US FROM LIVING]
(Nkosi Sikeleli Africa )
God bless Africa May her glory be lifted high Hear our petitions .
God bless us, Your children God we ask You to protect our nation Intervene and end all conflicts Protect us, protect our nation, our nation.
From the blue of our heaven, From the depths of our sea, Over our eternal mountain ranges, Where the cliffs give answer.
Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom, In South Africa our land.
[Enoch Mankayi Sontonga]
WAKE UP !!! STAY UP !!!
[http://www.infowars.com/infowars.asx] / [gcnlive.com] / [http://alexjonesringtones.net/] Life Is A Game. Have Fun . Luke 18:17 - Isaiah 11:6