The audience erupted with applause. Both Al-Bashir and Al Burhan are members of the same gang. Everyone at The Hague heard that justice should be served in Sudan and that Al Burhan should be brought to justice.
Manel Msalmi: "Sudanese demand here today a democratic, free nation. Sudan's Arab Spring promised freedom, dignity, equality, and justice."
— Andy Vermaut - World Council for Public Diplomacy and Community Dialogue
THE HAGUE, KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS, October 15, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Hundreds of protesters have just gathered in front of the International Criminal Court in The Hague to oppose Sudanese President Abdel Fattah Al Burhan. Following a large protest in the European capital Brussels, right across from the European Commission and the European External Action Service, the Sudanese diaspora is taking to the streets to demand a large-scale investigation by the International Criminal Court into the crimes of Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, the leader who has fallen out of favor with the majority of Sudanese but who continues to bloodily crush all protests at home with an iron fist. Sudanese people have had enough of this regime and are calling for early elections. In addition, there has been a spontaneous demonstration in New York and other cities across the globe against Sudan's corrupt dictatorship of Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, who conducted a coup there last year on Oct. 25, 2021, and in the interim silences anybody who tries to speak out, manu militari. Many Europeans have joined the demonstration after hearing reports of harsh repression in Sudan. Manel Msalmi led everything in the right direction. Manel Msalmi, the president of the European Association for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms, once again lived up to her name.
Andy Vermaut, the president of the World Council for Public Diplomacy and Community Dialogue, got the message from Manel Msalmi & the Sudanese people well. Andy Vermaut says:"Since this is a very important meeting, we have gathered in front of the International Criminal Court so that everyone may see us. We are all here today, the 15th of October 2022 as advocates for human rights, as members of the international community, and as people from all over the world, and we must admit that we are all here to blame Al Burhan, the dictator of Sudan. We the People’s of the world, tend to feel overconfident in our own skills and forget that battling injustice is a shared duty, despite the fact that we all have to battle to exist. At Andy Vermaut's speech, the crowd loudly shouted along.”Al-Bashir and Al Burhan,are two members of the same gang. Justice for Sudan, prosecute Al Burhan, Justice for Sudan, prosecute al Burhan,” it echoed far into the streets of The Hague, everyone around heard it well.
Omar al-Bashir
Furthermore, Vermaut talks about the common duty we all have.Andy Vermaut:” People who are aware of world problems are not easily fooled and feel it is their duty to join the fight against injustice in Sudan.This is true despite the fact that we are all fighting for our lives. Those of us who happen to be on this planet at the same time have an opportunity to make it a better place for future generations and as one, striving for unity as one humanity. We believe, here all, that the world is everyone's union. As a result, we have come here at the heart of the international legal system, where wise judges have a great opportunity of treating the world's most critical challenges. Due to Abdel Fattah al-Burhan rule, thousands of lives have been lost in Sudan and therefor this criminal head of state, who organized the last year's coup in Sudan, should be judged here in The Hague, just like Omar al-Bashir, where on 11 February 2020, the Sudanese government announced that it had agreed to hand over al-Bashir to the ICC for trial. Al Burhan, a guy unconcerned with peaceful coexistence, the benefit of his nation and its people, or cooperation in achieving harmony, has replaced Omar al-Bashir as Sudan's second dictator.”
Arbitrary Arrests
Andy Vermaut continued his speech enthusiastically:”After the military coup d'état on October 25, 2021, the military junta overturned the Constitutional Document of August 2019 and removed Dr. Abdallah Hamdok from his position as Prime Minister. After this unconstitutional regime change, there has been a disturbing wave of serious and heinous human rights violations, such as the killing of about 120 peaceful protesters, the shutting down of the internet, the harassment of journalists, the rape of women protesters, arbitrary arrests, and the forced disappearance of many pro-democracy activists. Violence and violations of human rights and international humanitarian law are said to be getting worse in Darfur. The country also faces growing risks from hate speech and calls for ethnic hatred, but the government hasn't done anything about it. We have come together peacefully today to bring the ongoing violations of human rights, violence against women, political dissidents, activists for human rights and political affairs, and anyone else who dares to speak out in Sudan to the attention of the international community, not only the United Nations Human Rights Council, but also the International Criminal Court that we can see in front of us. All of us on this continent humbly beg those who wield the global justice control to do all in their ability to bring Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to justice for his crimes against humanity.”
Justice?
Then followed 1 minute of silence, for which Andy Vermaut appealed to the audience that this is never enough to right the injustice, even insufficient to commemorate it. Or to put it in Vermaut's words:”I am aware that observing a minute of quiet will never be sufficient to remember all the victims of the violent tyranny that was planted by Al Burhan. One minute will not be sufficient to remember all the victims, to feel the grief and sadness, or to observe the minute of silence. Friends who are very dear to us all, let us take a moment today to observe a minute of silence in remembrance of all those people who lost their lives at the hands of Al Burhan's government over the course of the last year, and let us also express our hope that justice will be served.”
Restrict mobility
Andy Vermaut continued his speech which was enjoyed by the audience. Andy Vermaut:"The people of Sudan deserve justice for the atrocities committed against them, thus we are seeking answers from the International Criminal Court. Why hasn't the government of Sudan ensured that those responsible for the killings of civilians who opposed the coup are brought to justice? It would seem that efforts to seek justice have been abandoned. When will the International Criminal Court start taking responsibility for this situation? It seems to me that we are no better than the dictatorship that has already slaughtered so many if we remain silent in the face of such a great injustice. We have come before the International Criminal Court because of this very reason. Due to the fact that al Burhan is a criminal and not a leader, I encourage all parties to take immediate steps to restrict his mobility, his freedom of movement. Why? Because… Any and all freedoms and rights guaranteed by the international community are threatened by this individual."
Interconnected nature of humanity
Andy Vermaut:”Many Sudanese have now faced the reality after a year of propaganda, political manipulation, and economic exploitation. Because of the interconnectedness of the world, I feel that the injustices suffered by the people of Sudan are also our own. As a result, we're here today to do all we can to help the people of Sudan, including those living in exile and those now residing in refugee camps. Today's meeting's purpose is to examine this matter in depth. As a consequence of this conflict, the Sudanese people's beliefs have been flagrantly violated, and the quality of living for all Sudanese citizens has fallen. This is a tragic tragedy for the Sudanese people. What gives me optimism is that also the Sudanese people and the international community are now accepting the truth that they need a reconciliation figure in order to achieve peace, unity, and power. Because of the interconnected nature of humanity, the suffering of the people of Sudan is an insult to our rights as global citizens. It has to be impossible for a modern government leader to start fire on those who disagree with him. That goes against the grain of international community thought. Sudan's Al Burhan government has violated human rights and mistreated protesters, and this must be highlighted over and over again. We simply don't comprehend it. I stand in total solidarity with the people of Sudan, where genocide is continuously being committed. The people of Sudan want compensation for the wrongs that have been done to them. Over the course of the last year, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has caused an incredible amount of pain for the people of Sudan. We global citizens cannot turn a blind eye to the plight of the people in Sudan and do nothing to help them. What is taking on a daily basis in Sudan is more unbearable than it has ever been, and all we can do is hope that International Lady Justice of the international criminal court would remove the blinders she has placed over her eyes.”
Cynicism reveals the truth
Next to speak was Sid Lukkassen, a Dutch political philosopher and writer who worked as a researcher for the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament. The man is taking an increasingly active part in the public debate. Sid Lukkassen:”We're here to make a statement about Sudan and raise awareness. We're here to make a statement and raise our voices so the innocent get justice and the guilty face consequences. I've read several articles regarding Sudan. Together, we must hold the present administration accountable. It's important to aspire for a better future and to study and predict the future. These articles make you cynical. The administration has used live bullets against peaceful protests, unjustly detained opposition leaders, and reintroduced political Islam via the backdoor. All this occurred when the Sudanese military administration ousted the civilian government on October 25, 2021. Former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok created Sudan's civilian-led government in October 2019. Sudan was suspended from the African Union in 2021 after a military coup reversed its democratic transition. I've previously indicated that thinking about the future makes one skeptical. Then we realize how perceptive Oswald Spengler was. Because cynicism reveals the truth. The West, with its Christian concept of the soul and unalienable inherent rights, has done everything to propagate these concepts. The West spent much in institutionalizing humanist ideas abroad. Spengler noted that other cultures are more realistic in dealing with power, while we in the West are misled by our notions. When Western money dries up, these ideas lose importance. Islamists march slowly through the centuries.”
Imprisoned activists
Sid Lukkassen continues:”The Western quest for human rights will be a blip in eternity, notwithstanding occasional anger. Sudan, and how the African Union and UN handle it, exemplifies this. In the West, people who observe learn a lot from this. Sudanese residents' economic and social rights have deteriorated after the coup. This has lowered living standards and increased food insecurity. According to a Darfur Bar Association human rights lawyer, hundreds of activists were imprisoned during rallies in Khartoum alone. Sudan's military commanders have committed terrible crimes against people without consequence, emboldened by years of impunity and a weak international reaction to their takeover. The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors reported hundreds of deaths, including children, and over thousands of injuries. And more. No consensus exists on how to return Sudan to civilian democratic government. The military junta has aggravated the situation by allowing Omar Al Bashir's genocide-committing political Islamists to return. Military intelligence protects islamist enterprises for a cut of the profits. Growing impetus exists to unlock confiscated Islamist accounts and re-register and unban Islamist volunteer groups so they may restart operations.”
Sudan's Future
Sid Lukkassen continues:”108 human rights groups have written to US Vice President Joe Biden. This letter says "Islamic fanatics, welcomed back after the coup, are harassing, attacking, and detaining religious minorities. So, to clarify. In the Islamic world's fragile democracies, the military usually provides power to civilians, who eventually lose it to islamists. The citizens then urge the military to take control and delay democracy to remove fundamentalist influences from the government. In Sudan, the military bypasses the civilian phase and invites islamists straight. This dictatorship thinks nobody's watching. And nobody cares. Care, however. We support Sudan's future. The regime believes this will work. They believe nobody cares! We know! We're here to keep them accountable.”
Promise
At the time this article went to press, Manel Msalmi had just started speaking. She is the president of EADM, European Association for the Defense of Minorities in Brussels. Manel Msalmi:”Sudanese people deserve the chance to live in a democratic and free country. Sudan's Arab Spring offered promise for more freedom, dignity, equality, and justice for everyone. Unfortunately, people were victims of a repressive government, which denied them access to better living circumstances, medical care, and educational possibilities. Our Sudanese sisters need our full support in order to attain more justice and equal opportunities. Sudanese women and youth need the international community's assistance.”
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