Articles

Tue, 22 May 2001 14:26:29

Reflection on Egypt-Sudan Relations, Judiciary, and Human Rights

Mahgoub El-Tigani , Ph.D.
Sudanese Writers' Union (in exile)

Egyptian Judiciary in the context of Egypt's political facts and the slow move of Civil Society in the face of the ruling single-party (1952-present) ongoing domination is one of the best in the whole region. It was able to maintain a margin away from the Executive but it is still bound to surrender some of its autonomy to the exceptional authorities of the President by Constitution. Ashmawi, for example, was able to manipulate this judiciary margin to stop the craziness of fundamentalist groups for almost a decade. Ibrahim, Abou Zeid, Ibtihal, Saadawi and her husband would be granted their legitimate rights with the continuous struggle of Civil Society and the skilled utilization of the technical side of the law. Here, laws talk, not bullets or rude intrusions as Bashir and Turabi reduced Sudan's great judiciary in 11 years of savage rule. That Saadawi and Ibrahim would continue to live in Egypt to run this legal struggle is one step to activate the campaign of the political correction of the injustice they received.

Relations between Sudan and Egypt are vital, regardless of governments or the kind of systems that exist in each country. Bad governments generate bad policies. True. It seems an eternal Khajouq, nonetheless, that the noble Peoples of Sudan and Egypt, who have more that brings them together than that divides them as struggling humans for freedoms and human rights, have to continue under all forms of governments and naughty systems to struggle for the achievement of the common goals that made of them unique neighbors and relatives over history. We have to work with whatever little is available to keep these struggles going. This is how I see the good point of Merghani stressing unity of his party - at least - with Egyptian counterparts, and even Sadiq Al-Mahdi joining the effort to better relations between his party and Egypt. That is helping, regardless of the type of regime Egypt has in its own right and according to its own Egyptian conditions. Al-Merghani relations with Egypt - as government and People - is deeply rooted (as you know) in the historical relations between Khatmiya and Egypt long before Mahdiya came to being.

Most recently, those who lived in Egypt the years of Turabi/Bashir arrogant brutality witnessed the sympathy and sincere sentiments of solidarity between the noble Egyptian People and our Sudanese nationals. They shared with us with all generosity and hospitality the limited resources. Their human rights groups accommodated our human rights organizations. Their enlightened journalists, thinkers, writers, artists, and all the other creative professions embraced ours in every space and time. The noble Egyptian Masses offered the little they had in housing, food, transport, health, entertainment to us in the Diaspora. We laughed together despite the rotten criminality of the Maniac Bashir and his crazy teacher Turabi who scattered us in all valleys as Wardi's song says. They wept with us our dear ones and buried with us their bodies and our tears in their cemeteries. More Egyptians were reading Al-Fatiha with us than our small displaced communities were able to do, scattered as they were all over Cairo. There is so much that binds Egyptian and Sudanese democracy activists than whatever may take them apart. All this helped the Sudanese to survive as they rushed from all parts of the wounded Sudan, the one bleeding by the treacherous knives of Bashir and Tirabi, to find lodging and solidarity in the great sister of Sudan, Egypt.

Interestingly, SCP - led by the great socialist Martyr Abdel-Khaliq Mahgoub - and Sudanese unions - led by Martyr Shafi'e and now Mahgoub Sid Ahmed Abdel-Wahab Abdel-Ghani and the other Workers' Federation leaders who included the late Mohamed Al-Amin - initiated and paved the way to strong progressive relations with the Egyptian Civil Society. This as Mahgoub Sid Ahmed wrote in his memories goes back to the 1940's struggles versus the British, then the noble stand of the Sudanese progressive groups with Nasir versus the triple Aggression of Israel, Britain, and France on Port Saeed following the nationalization of Suez Canal, etc. A great potential for stronger relations between Sudan and Egypt is coming with Garang and SPLM increasing ties with Egypt, government and People.

Possibilities of more closeness between Egypt and Sudan based on progressive enlightened agenda will facilitate and make possible the kind of decent, free, and creative life the enlightened Sudanese Civil Society is struggling with Nawal el-Saadawi, Ibrahim Saadeldeen, and Egyptian Civil Society to establish in the Nile Valley. DUP and Umma must be encouraged to strengthen relations with the Egyptian government and People based on Civil Society concepts and human rights norms. SCP, SPLM, Federation, and all other progressive groups should be strengthened to tighten up relations between the Sudanese and the Egyptian progressive groups. This latter relation is a safeguard of the former relations. All in all, this will help, now and in the long run, to make of democracy and human rights a common agenda and greater possibility in our countries. It will isolate the NIF and similar fundamentalist politically underdeveloped groups as the one greatest threat of human rights and freedoms of the two societies.