A Hypothetical Speech by President Al-Burhan at the United Nations
As I See It
Adil El-Baz
In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.
Peace be upon you.
Ladies and gentlemen, leaders, presidents, and heads of the Disunited Nations… (silence and murmurs).
I hear murmurs spreading among you. Well, you must think I made a mistake. No, I did not make a mistake; it is you who are mistaken. You are mistaken when you claim that you are United Nations! You know that we gather here annually to practice the same deceptive rituals, exchanging words, smiles, and meetings, but there is nothing real that unites us. No values, no principles, no laws. What exactly do we unite over? Show me one thing we are truly united on. You are mistaken to think that the people believe you are United Nations.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The time for deceiving the people with grand words and slogans has passed, because people are now able to hear and see what is happening behind the scenes directly. So when the people hear our words and see our actions, they come to realize that we are nothing more than hypocrites. Do you want me to place a mirror in front of you so you can see the truth of yourselves? Do you want examples that reveal the deep abyss of hypocrisy into which we have fallen?
Right now, as you deliver your speeches, as you speak about justice, freedom, the rights of people, and international humanitarian law, dozens of Israeli planes are bombing the homes of citizens in southern Lebanon, wiping out entire families, and targeting civilian facilities and hospitals. Yet, none of you raised a finger to object to these crimes that violate and demolish all the laws and charters upon which this organization was founded. You have never united to stop injustice and aggression. For over a year now, an entire population has been under bombardment and genocide, and all of you witness the two million Palestinians in Gaza being exterminated. The United Nations and its Security Council have been unable to make binding decisions to stop this aggression. The question we face is this: If the United Nations cannot make a decision to prevent the genocide of a people taking place before its very eyes, what can it possibly unite and agree upon?
We have become a laughingstock among nations. We say what we do not do. We do everything against humanity and then speak of human rights. We proclaim our respect for the sovereignty of nations while allowing their invasion and the looting of their resources. We claim to be messengers of peace while igniting wars in every corner of the planet!
Members of the General Assembly,
I will leave you to reflect on what is happening in the world right now, and I will speak about what is happening in my country, Sudan. First of all, I regret to say that the United Nations and its Security Council’s stance on what is happening in my country has been disgraceful. I have left behind me one of the most beautiful nations, now destroyed by your silence, and even by the support of some of you for the rebel mercenaries.
Ladies and gentlemen,
A year and a half is the duration of the war in my country, a war initiated by a unit of the national army, now over a century old. This unit rebelled with the aim of seizing power by force, and when their coup plan failed, the Janjaweed militia turned it into a war that destroyed everything in the country. Quickly, this internal war turned into an invasion by mercenaries from across Africa’s Arab diaspora. This invasion, which is now ongoing, involves 18 countries, led by a country you know well. The most dangerous thing this country is doing is financing the invasion with money and weapons, and it has established military bases in Chad for this purpose. All of this is known, confirmed by the reports of the UN Security Council (Expert Committee) and widely documented by American media outlets with daily evidence of this aggression.
Given these circumstances, we have appealed to the United Nations and the Security Council to condemn this invasion and aggression. Unfortunately, the world has turned a deaf ear to us, refusing to condemn the aggressors or the rebels. What is more astonishing is that the world has equated the rebel mercenaries with the legitimate government of Sudan, ignoring the legal and international legitimacy of the government I represent before you today.
If my country is facing an existential threat from members among you, and you remain silent, not only unable to deter, but even to verbally condemn it, then why do I need to be among you? Why does my country need to remain part of nations that do not care if my people are exterminated, displaced, killed, or raped? Why do all the weak nations that seek justice need to stay in a system built on injustice? What need does humanity have for an organization that does not respect its own values or laws? What need do the developing nations have to remain in an organization where the powerful do as they please without regard for the rights and needs of others to live a dignified life on this planet? Especially when it has been proven that the lofty values they market to us as ideals are spat upon at every dangerous turn, as you are witnessing now on the world stage.
Leaders and heads of state,
I hope I have not wasted your time discussing what you already know, but I am certain I have wasted valuable time for my country. I have left behind a raging war, a displaced people, lurking invaders, and a silent world, just to make my people’s voice heard. I did not come here, enduring the difficulties of addressing you, to ask for a decision or a stance. I have taken this platform to address the conscience of the world and its living forces about the injustice my country is facing, hoping that a surge of conscience may stir the oppressed peoples of the world to stand with the victims and reset the scales of justice in line with the compass of truth.
God is the ultimate purpose, and peace be upon you.
