Why Are You Messing With Sudan Now?

Just when I'm arranging to go to Sudan again at month end (should be leaving KL on the night of 27 July), the International Criminal Court ("ICC") based in The Hague has to initiate a prosecution against the President of Sudan, Omar Al-Bashir. The ICC is trying to indite the president for alleged war crimes in the Darfur region, west Sudan.

Few days back, the Sudanese citizens held a major rally showing support for their president. I mean, who wouldn't, if your nation's head has been implicated in a crime that was submitted overseas. What if the current Malaysian Prime Minister has been indicted, will you go out to show your support in a mega rally? hehehehehehehe

Please lah, don't heat up the situation in Sudan. It's already hot enough being situated in the Sahara desert region. You'll never what will happen if such rally goes out of hand.

One fine day in year 2006 (can't remember which day/month), I had just finished a meeting in Kharotum's central business district area. Called my local Sudanese colleague and he said he would come around the corner in fifteen minutes time to pick me up. In the car, was another Malaysian colleague of mine too.

Just when we got into our car and started moving forward, we could see many people running towards our direction and all cars were diverted into this road turning it into one way street even though it was a dual way street. Both of us, Malaysians, told our Sudanese fella to reverse the car immediately. A pick-up truck trying to move fast in front of us just knocked his way through and bang into the left hand side of our car. More cars were forcing their way through. Many scratches by now. We had to think of the human beings behind us too ....... what is this man!!!!

We can't reverse fast enough as there were a few cars behind us too. As reversing was real slow, we told our local colleague to force the car to the side and turn the other way round to flow along with the traffic now. When we managed to squeeze to the side, this local fella wanted to be a superhero instead. He told us that he wanted to see or asked what was happening. We scolded and shouted at him. I told him if you were to leave the car now, I will certainly take over the wheel and drive off without you.

Heart was pumping real fast and anxious to get out from that spot but this local fella had other ideas. Myyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ........ really gave him a piece of my mind (guessed that my other colleague who may read this blog posting would agree with me).

Only then he came to his senses (if he has one in the first place at that point of time). What was happening at that time was that traffic from two other major roads turned into our road and this local fella wanted to see what was happening. Seeing waves of panicked people would have triggered your mind that everyone was running away from danger in which we found out that a commotion happened between certain parties with the local armies and shots were heard (how true about the shots we don't know but we are not staying to listen to it).

Flowing along with the 'forced' traffic, we drove into another part of the city. We diverted far away from the city centre and went into the outskirt in order to reach the other end of the city to go back to our office. While still stucked in the traffic with everybody trying to move out of the city, we called back to our office to inform the rest not to leave the office.

It took us more than an hour to reach our safe spot. Considered safe in our office as the rest were there ............ hehehehe. I lived to write this story for you to read and I'm going back there again. Anyway, this incident was nothing compared to a major revolt when emergency ruling was enforced for one or two days in August 2005. Unfortunately, I was there too.

Reading: Sudanese rally to support leader - BBC News/Africa
Reading: AU warning over Sudan 'charges' - BBC News/Africa
Tags: Sudan, AU, African Union, ICC, International Criminal Court, Omar Al-Bashir, War Crimes