Welcome Back, the Accused

By Ali Askouri

I was delighted to read the news that one of the leaders of the group formerly known as Taqaddum had returned to the country. However, my joy quickly faded when I realized that the news was just a rumor!

My initial happiness stemmed from the belief that the individual had the courage to face justice, which is essential. As we know, the man is facing serious charges brought against him by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which has issued a notice, including his name along with others, instructing him to surrender to the police.

I have repeatedly called—alongside others—for the leaders of Taqaddum to be brought to justice because both the state and its citizens explicitly accuse them of being complicit in the crimes committed by their military wing (the militia). As such, they bear equal responsibility for the bloodshed, looting, destruction, and all other crimes carried out under the agreement they signed with the militia. If one of them returns voluntarily to face justice, it is something to be welcomed—after all, the first drop of rain signals the coming storm!

Of course, neither the authorities nor the people will accept them until the judiciary decides their fate—either as convicts heading to the gallows or prison or as innocent individuals who can resume their lives with full rights, like any other citizens.

Such legal matters should not be subject to rumors or political maneuvering. Extremely serious crimes have been committed, both against the public and private individuals. The most severe among these are charges of genocide, crimes against humanity (forced displacement), rape, and premeditated murder. Therefore, using this issue for political bargaining and blackmail is highly damaging to justice, and it is imperative to stop treating it as a political matter. Anyone who exploits this issue for political blackmail is betraying and undermining the rights of the victims. Beware!

Our sole focus should be on demanding their submission to justice—period. Anything beyond that will only harm our cause and allow the crimes committed by their military wing to go unpunished. Reckless writings on this matter could pave the way for justice to be denied. Be cautious!

All our efforts should be directed toward insisting that they comply with the Public Prosecutor’s request and face trial. Evading a summons from the Prosecutor’s Office is, in itself, a crime!

Once again, these are legal matters that must never be politicized. Politicization subjects them to political bargaining, while these are purely criminal cases. People must be vigilant about what they write!

Anyone who complies with the Public Prosecutor’s summons and returns to Sudan to face justice is welcome. In fact, they should be encouraged to return—we seek nothing more than for justice to take its course.

We understand that the crimes committed fall into two categories: public rights, which are the responsibility of the state or the current authorities, and private rights, which belong to the citizens who were personally affected by these crimes.

Let the state handle what is under its jurisdiction, while we focus on private rights, which no state or authority—regardless of who is in power—has the right to waive. This is what concerns us all and should be the priority of our efforts. It is for this reason that I am writing today. Private rights belong to the victims, and it is up to us to ensure they are upheld.

To activate private rights claims, I propose that a group of legal experts volunteer to draft a generic indictment that clearly establishes Taqaddum’s connection to the militia and their responsibility for the crimes mentioned above. This indictment must include the names of the Taqaddum leaders who have been accused, as listed in the Public Prosecutor’s notice, as well as any other individuals proven to have collaborated with the militia.

Once prepared, this indictment should be made public so that any affected individual can fill in the details of their own grievances and file a case against Taqaddum and the individuals named therein. The indictment should focus on proving Taqaddum’s connection to the militia, as outlined in the Attorney General’s document, along with any additional relevant details. This would make Taqaddum’s members accountable directly to the victims. Once published, victims can use the indictment as a foundation, adding the details of the crimes committed against them, with the assistance of lawyers.

Even better, the Bar Association could assign a group of lawyers across the affected regions—Khartoum, Darfur, Kordofan, Al-Jazira, East Nile, Dinder, Sennar, Sinja, River Nile, Northern State, and elsewhere—to receive complaints, collect evidence, and process legal actions for every citizen.

This effort is not as difficult as it may seem. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has already prepared an indictment and initiated legal proceedings based on it. We can build upon this, modifying it as needed to suit individual cases.

Let us act swiftly and file tens of thousands of criminal cases against Taqaddum. Let us demand their return to face justice. Welcome to anyone willing to clear their name before the courts!

Let us put an end to the chaos and political posturing that serve no real purpose. Let us focus on the work that truly matters—securing our rights.

For those seeking to bring down Taqaddum, this is the path to achieving your goal. Political whining will get you nowhere. Use the law as your weapon and mobilize the people to file cases. That way, no one can accuse you of being exclusionary, since the right to litigation is guaranteed for all!

The ball is in our court. It is up to us to act.

Once again, I urge everyone to avoid political posturing over these grave criminal cases. Follow the legal path—it is the surest way to achieve justice.

On a personal level, I will not be filing any case against Taqaddum, as it might be perceived as political animosity due to my writings against them. However, I will not hesitate to encourage ordinary victims—whether from my personal circles or beyond, in Khartoum, Darfur, Kordofan, Al-Jazira, East Nile, Dinder, Sennar, Sinja, River Nile, Northern State, and elsewhere—to complete the necessary legal procedures and ensure that their rights are not lost.

Welcome to those wanted for justice!

This land belongs to us.

(Source: Asdaa Sudaneya)