R 041344Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1510
INFO DARFUR COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001173 
 
 
STATE FOR AF/SPG, AF/PD, IIP/G/AF, RRU/AF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KPAO OIIP SU
SUBJECT: Unrestrained Bashir Defies ICC Before Friendly Audience 
 
REF: KHARTOUM 1117 
 
 
¶1. Summary: Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir's defiant speech 
against the International Criminal Court (ICC) received widespread 
and prominent coverage in the local press on August 4.  Papers from 
across the political spectrum carried reports of the speech on the 
front page, complete with photos of the Sudanese leader addressing 
his supporters from various international and regional labor 
organizations.  None of the newspapers opposed Bashir's speech in 
any way. The Sudanese President had been very restrained in talking 
about the ICC to date, allowing surrogates to take on the subject 
for him.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. Bashir addressed a "Popular Rally for Solidarity with Sudan" 
under the slogan "Stop Targeting Sudan" organized by the 
regime-controlled Sudan Workers Trade Unions Federation in 
collaboration with the International Confederation of Arab Trade 
Unions at the Friendship Hall in Khartoum on August 4.  Bashir 
announced that he would not cooperate with the International 
Criminal Court.  On July 14, ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo 
announced that he would be seeking arrest warrant for Bashir in 
relation to allegations that the president was responsible for 
genocide and war crimes in Darfur. 
 
¶3. "Akher Lahza," a pro-government daily, ran a headline that quoted 
Bashir saying, "America, France and Britain are launching a campaign 
to recolonize Sudan."  It also cited Bashir saying that he would not 
"recognize the International (or what seemingly calls itself 
International) Criminal Court," saying that this would mean denying 
Sudan its sovereignty, as well as its legal, political, and 
diplomatic rights. 
 
¶4. "Al-Watan," a daily independent newspaper that was formerly run 
by the Umma Party of Saddig Al-Mahdi, had a headline that quoted the 
Sudanese President as saying, "Colonial countries need to wash the 
blood off their hands."  Bashir also said that Sudan had been able 
to end the longest war in Africa, so why wouldn't it be able to end 
the war in Darfur?  According to the newspaper, Bashir added that 
"superpowers in the world" wanted to re-colonize Sudan by initiating 
their war agendas.  Bashir reportedly said these countries should 
leave the "poor people alone" to pursue their own means of 
stability.   He also requested the colonizers (referring to France 
and Great Britain) to apologize to their former colonies for the 
bloodshed they had caused, asking them to return the looted 
resources they had taken from these lands. He noted that the UK had 
killed tens of thousands of Sudanese during the time of the Mahdi. 
 
¶5. Even "Al-Sudani," an independent daily, and "Agras Al-Hurrya," a 
daily sponsored by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), 
highlighted Bashir's defiance of the ICC.  Several newspapers 
published editorials not necessarily related to the speech seemingly 
siding with Bashir as he pointed fingers of blame at the U.S., 
France, and Britain accusing them of conspiring against Sudan in an 
attempt to re-colonize Africa. 
 
¶6. One pro-government daily newspaper, "Al-Sharia Al-Siyasi," ran a 
column by Izzat Izzeldin entitled, "It's time ... for America to dig 
its own grave."  The author accused the U.S. of being singlehandedly 
responsible for a series of events in Sudan, including last May's 
attack by Darfur rebels in Omdurman and the ICC prosecutor's 
accusations against Bashir.  The author said these were part of the 
Bush Administration's attempt to help boost Republican Senator John 
McCain's election chances in November.  The writer mentioned that 
America has only made greater enemies and is digging its own grave. 
 
¶7. Comment: NCP leaders had convinced President Bashir to allow them 
to bash the ICC while he took the high road. That strategy certainly 
held for a few weeks, but this very friendly audience and support he 
has gotten from the AU and Arab League (AU Chairman Ping arrived in 
Khartoum on August 4) seemed to have - for now - emboldened the 
Sudanese President, at least in his use of colorful language to 
condemn the West. 
 
 
FERNANDEZ