ICC only targets African countries – Tagelsir Magoub Ali, Sudanese Ambassador

[MrVan]

BY VICTORIA OJEME

What is the state of relationship between Sudan and Nigeria?

Sudan and Nigeria have a historically long relationship. However we feel that despite the fact that there are millions of Nigerian citizens in Sudan and there are thousands of Sudanese in Nigeria yet the relationship has not been up to expectations of the people of both countries.

We still feel that there is a lot of common ground which has not been tapped.  We still feel that there are great potentials in both countries which have not been explored.

Talking about trade, what is the volume of trade between the two countries?

There is no clear record of organised trade between Sudan and Nigeria. Now what's happening is trade that is moving across the borders of Sudan and Nigeria. We are yet to make an effort to improve relations between the private sectors in both Sudan and Nigeria, so that we can reach some sort of common strategic partnership. This is  going to  be one of the key things in Sudan, Nigeria Commission which is supposed to meet. It is a bi-lateral commission.

What challenges have you faced so far?

We have challenges in both Sudan and Nigeria. There is the  challenge of peace, the challenge of stability, the challenge of cordial relations between both countries and peaceful co-existence.

These are the global challenges. The major challenge for us in the Sudan is that of the establishment of peace in the Sudan and the stability in the country. I see the same thing in Nigeria, there are lots of challenges here – the challenge of being one country intact, the challenge of potential opportunities that exist in Nigeria as the biggest country in Africa in terms of population; and the manpower and the wealth that is here  in Nigeria.

What are you doing to get these challenges out of the way?

That is what I see as a priority for me. I would like to get the bi-lateral commission between Sudan and Nigeria off the ground effectively. I feel that Nigeria has got great talents.  Now when I read newspapers in Nigeria I  really feel proud of the kind of issues that are raised, the kind of mentality that we have in Africa and I  think these people are capable of removing any of the obstacles along the way to create a real African renaissance that people look for.

ICC has issued an arrest warrant for President Al Bashir; how has this affected Sudan's diplomatic relations with other counties of the world?

The ICC has been an issue for so many years and it is very controversial because of the kind of powers vested in the ICC.  Its a new institution that has got 70% of the world population – outside the panel like the United State of America and the Russia, China, India – involved. If you take countries like USA, Russia and China and India and all these are not members of the ICC yet the ICC, with very few countries with very small population makes it appear as if ICC was deliberately created for less developed and privileged countries.

So far we haven't seen the ICC do anything to major powers despite the fact that there have been so many infringements of human rights and so many issues that make them subject to what is there in the ICC.  Yet we have seen only Africans that have being dragged before the ICC.  I don't think that it is something that matters much because the President has been moving around the world freely.

We know there are a few countries whether it is the ICC or not, they are still being manipulated by some powers that are really targeting the Sudan.  As far as Sudan is concerned, I don't think it has been very much affected by the ICC.

President Al Bashir  is not  at all concerned with what is happening in the ICC.

We have got good lawyers, we are really facing the situation very squarely;  thanks to a lot of countries that have received president Al Bashir.  He has been doing his work well, he has relations with African countries, with the Arab world and so on  and even as far as China and Latin America.

I don't think that the ICC will affect any country that is sure of itself so we hope that people will correct the situation. It is so many years now and nothing has taken place so far so we believe that things will come to an end.  So many countries are being convinced on what is going on and so I think it is gradually weakening

Don't you think African countries are divided on this issue of the arrest warrant for for your president?

Maybe some African countries but how many African countries are really in the African union and the African union has made its stand known on the ICC.  Africa is seen as a soft target for the ICC and now African leaders are beginning to realize this.

How has the libration of South Sudan affected the economy of North Sudan,?

Yeah, to some extent because about 70% of the oil has gone to the south but definitely we are aware of it,  we know that Sudan is going to give the south the right of self determination and we thought that yes the south might opt for having its own sovereign country.  We've got our  mineral resources which are being tapped now, we have got  our agricultural resources, we have got our animal resources and we have got a lot of things that can really offset this but part of the oil is still in the Sudan.  We've got people working on other resources so that it doesn't cause any kind of economic collapse that was probably intended.

People had thought liberation of the South Sudan was going to be a peaceful transition  but it seems to be creating many problems for both countries?

That's what we hoped for, we never expected that and even people who have been following what is going on at least a few days before attacking Hegleg, the south delegation came to Khartoum and they left our counterparts there, they even invited president Al Bashir to come to the south and all that was a camouflage; we  honoured everything that was honourable, the peace agreement was fully honoured by the Sudan government, even the President went to the south and he attended the ceremony of declaring the south a sovereign country. We never expected that such things as are happening now will take place.

I was a member of the political committee for the Sudan peace agreement, I was the head of the wealth sharing team in Naivasharbougs and even after that we have been in good terms with the south even before separation, I was also in the Sudan national strategy.

We built railway lines up to the south, we built roads, we rehabilitated homes and we built schools and medical centres and so on despite this is from Sudan National budget and all that was to make unity attractive so that these people would really co-exist with their brothers from the north.

But suddenly they came up with this surprising attitude of launching these attack on the oil fields.  Honestly as a member of the negotiating team Hegleg never came up as one of the controversial areas in Sudan, never, it was always known  that its part of north Sudan and only Abyei was the bone of contention and not Hegleg.

It was so sudden that they came up with this but now people are back to the negotiating table and we hope that things will get better.  We are in for a peaceful solution, we are in for peaceful co-existence  of the two countries that have always been together.  Let us see a common ground between the two countries, let us see synergy of ideas, let us see how we can work together to boost relations that have already existed and try to avoid war because war  only brings destruction.  We agreed with the UN decision, we said yes that is why we are now in Addis Ababa for the peace talk .

You agreed to the peace talks with conditions?

No, it was according to what UN  decided, we are  committed to the  decision made by the UN and  we did agree to it that the African union should come on board and so we are respecting these institutions.  Yes, we probably have some  few concerns about some of the things but at the end  we had to comply with some of the decisions that the UN came up with.

We don't have problems with the UN. We have been in good terms with the UN.

You are in Nigeria, not minding the short time that you have stayed but at least you have heard a lot and you have seen a lot. Nigeria just celebrated its democracy day few weeks ago, would you say it has done enough to be celebrated or what do you expect from Nigeria?

I always go through all the newspapers that come out daily and I am very much impressed by  what is there in the press and you know sometimes if you want to test the real state of democracy you look at the media.  I think there is a very good media in Nigeria compared to other African countries. I  haven't seen it in many African countries.  If you read the newspapers you will see and read a lot about what is happening in the country, a very good critique in the media about what is going on in the country and people tend  to respond objectively to what  is there in any critique that comes out, that's why I think Nigeria could really become with the few things that taken place in Nigeria, a role model in many ways because a lot of work is  being done.

I  am impressed with what I see  in Abuja  as a capital, it is developing into a real model African capital. Very beautiful development, good work that is going on and I say this because at one time I was responsible for the physical decentralization of Sudan

I  think Nigeria is probably going along this kind of path and I watch TV sometimes and I see a lot of debates going on, amazingly beautiful debates  so Nigeria essentially has got a lot of talents and Nigeria has  got a lot of good people and the decency of the people in Nigeria sometimes is really amazing, people are decent, people  are very polite, in the way they deal with other people; again we don't see this very much in many places and I think that this trend of democracy will probably help Nigeria move on and really become something that can achieve the vision 2020-20.

I have seen a lot of things that I really admire in Nigeria for a lot of things that is taking place and as I said can really learn a lot from the media in Nigeria.

Vanguard Nigeria

[Justin Nnamdi]

There are so many things going on Globally today!!Soo Many acts of evil against the human rights,the ICC don't they see the evils tony blair of Britain???the ICC is just what the Western world has created to Persecute those African leaders who are not loyal to them..