Leadership (Abuja)
Emmanuel Iffer
27 October 2009
Abuja — The Sudanese authorities yesterday refused landing rights to the plane carrying Senate President David Mark.
The Senate President, who was leading the Senate Committee on Defence, was on his way to Darfur as part of the Senate's oversight function, where the country's armed forces are serving in a hybrid UN/AU peace-keeping mission.
LEADERSHIP, however, learnt that the official explanation for the refusal to allow the plane land was that the airport was undergoing rehabilitation work and as such was closed at the time Mark's plane arrived the Sudanese airspace.
It was gathered that the Nigerian ambassador to Sudan had, through the usual diplomatic channels, obtained necessary clearance for the plane and its passengers. This, however, did not deter the Sudanese authorities who insisted that the airport had been closed before the plane arrived.
Speaking to our correspondent last night, a source close to the Senate President said that Senator Mark was safely back into the country when he learnt of the development.
He noted that the Senate President did not get to Sudan, but made a U-turn in Chad and returned to the country.
LEADERSHIP, however, gathered that the refusal may not be unconnected with fears that Nigeria may cooperate with the Internatinal Criminal Court (ICC) and effect the arrest of President Omar Al-Bashir during his expected visit to Abuja.
All attempts last night to speak with officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the matter yielded no result.
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The ICC indictment against the Sudanese Leader was based on the idea that a "genocide" was taking place in Darfur.
What's unfortunate is that many Africans including many Nigerians have swallowed this hoax.
A very interesting article debunking the above assertion was published on the web in 2007.
Check it out at: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7594
Unity and Cooperation for All Africans, not divisiveness and destruction. ICC has being and is still bais and racist to Africa future and development. Sudan wants to develop and help her people; so, why won't the ICC give them the chances to do so ???? If other African countries aren't waking up to reality concerning ICC conspiracies, thanks to Almighty Lord and Allah, Sudan have done so. Sudan, I think you were perfectly right to stop Senetor Mark for entering your space; Africa should and must know how to work things among themselves without outside intervention. Dlear leadership part from Sudan. One major question, do you think Europe will allow any Africa country to put pressure on ICC to topple any Europe Leaders for their wrong doing. If that so, we are waiting to see that day??
Well done Sudan! Sudan has no lessons of "human rights" or "good governance" to receive from corrupted Nigerian political leaders who are unable to provide basic commodities such as water and electricity to their people.
The ICC is a legal mechanism established by some Western countries to control African nations who are rich in mineral resources. It is therefore not a surprise that a "client state" such as Nigeria is among the signatories to the Rome Statute.