There is no doubt that Sudan aka North Sudan is negatively portrayed in the U.S diplomatic cables. We have seen how the American administration was and is still lobbying for Al Bashir already in the cables.
Among all the cables related of Sudan none is more controversial or interesting than the cable related to the hidden bank account of Omar Al Bashir. In a confidential cable sent on March 24th,2009 from the U.S mission in UN after a meeting with U.S ambassadors to the UN Susan Rice and Alejandro Wolff with ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo.
Moreno Ocampo suggested the disclosure of Al Bashir’s bank account abroad to change the public opinion about him in Sudan from crusader to a thief.
International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo told Ambassadors Rice and Wolff on March 20 that Sudanese President Bashir needed to be isolated. Ocampo suggested if Bashir’s stash of money were disclosed (he put the figure at possibly $9 billion), it would change Sudanese public opinion from him being a “crusader” to that of a thief. Ocampo reported Lloyd’s Bank in London might be holding or knowledgeable of the whereabouts of his money. Ocampo suggested simply exposing that Bashir had illegal accounts would be enough to turn the Sudanese against him, “as with Pinochet.”
Of course Ocampo may ignore the fact that the Sudanese people know that from a very long time !! They only ignore how much he stole from Sudan and where he is hiding what he stole.
First of all the timing of that cable release just before the referendum in the South is interesting.
Second of all this cable shows that the West knows the dirty secrets of Arab rulers and wait to use it when time comes.
Now if Omar Al Bashir has got $ 9 billion in some secret bank account from Sudan , how much have the Arab rulers got in their secret bank accounts ? It is hard to guess correctly when it comes to Mubarak and his family when it comes to Egypt after 30 years of rule !!
Ahmed Ez, the steel magnate and Gamal's chummy estimated networth at $ 10 billion. Gamal himself is estimated to be worth around $2 billion. Ala Mubarak is humble with a meek $250 million, the "pious" and "kind" businessman who forces every Egyptian driver to buy a useless fire extinguisher made by the Bavaria Group every renewal due to its short expiry date[he owns most of the shares]- a bizarre mandatory law to include an industrial extinguisher which is not required for regular cars in most advanced countries.[if a law like that is pushed, it's should at least push sales for a public sector company like Nasr.they tell you that particular extinguisher can be made by any company but ironically, according to their specifications you only have one choice since the introduction of the law, elnasr company has been banned from producing an industrial extinguisher of that size and restricted to aerosol extinguishers in that range and allowed to produce industrial ones of 5kg and more only..
ReplyDeleteOne can only imagine what the big shithead[the greatest leader according to some] is worth with 3 decades of corruption and being one os the most prominent arm dealers in Africa for many years even before he was a VP.. anything less $20billion is an understatement
-dudu
"بس جمال كويس علشان عينه شبعان
ReplyDeleteاى يصبح اللص لا حرج لانه سرق بما يكفي و البلهاء يطعون ذلك حجه للصوص و اكلى قوت الشعب و لمن حجتهم واهيه لان لا يشبع اعينهم سؤى التراب و من يتوب عليه رد كل الاموال و ارباحها الى الشعب و الله ان تجار المخدرات لعندهم ضمير عن هؤلاء
Look there is 'rampant' fiscal corruption in Sudan, on the ground in Sudan and the Sudanese know this.
ReplyDeleteThere is fiscal corruption in the South and the North - but let's stick to the North for now.
Former Presidents and heads of State have died in the houses owned by their parents, yet Bashir's 'family' and 'clan' are beneficiaries of his and (the State's) largesse, owning sumptuous mansions in an exclusive district on the banks of the Nile in Khartoum - they originally come from a very humble rural region in the River Nile State, north of Khartoum State.
Bashir and the Islamists have taken control of the major businesses and have 'free', 'private' companies at their disposal - in the media sector, in the security sector and otherwise...
So we the Sudanese 'know' that there is corruption.
'However' - we also know, and expect those blogging about Sudan to know that Sudan is under 'strict' US economic sanctions that prohibit Western banks from any transaction that has anything to do with Sudan...
How on earth are we then to believe that Lloyds Bank accepted to receive money from anyone in the Sudanese government, let alone the President!
The FX sanctions have been tightened and companies are sanctioned for the slightest contravention of their terms...
Sudan's NCP keep their money in many places but 'most definitely not' in Lloyds Bank!
And Sudan's cumulative GDP for a period of 4 years running does not amount to $9 billion so the amount is fairly astronomical.
For a man of the law Ocampo should really look into how he presents his 'evidence'.
Sudanese commentator
Excuse me Zeinobia, but I find your using the word "crusader" above (as westerners always use it) was a little insensitive, if not offensive.. Mostafa
ReplyDeleteAs long as the judicial systems in some ME and African countries are not independent and toothless, the governing systems will allow corruption at the expense of it's citizens.
ReplyDelete".......the West knows the dirty secrets of Arab rulers and wait to use it when time comes"
ReplyDeleteThat is why it is called 'Intelligence services' and are deployed by all countries around the world.
@Dudu , I bet what is stolen from Egypt and Egyptians is enough to pay all external and internal debts !!
ReplyDeleteDo not forget the Pepsi and Coca cola shares too in the sons' wealth
@Sudanese Commentator , this is very wise remark , but do not forget Ocampo said that Llyod's bank may know the whereabout of that money , I think Llyod's was a transfer channel in a long money laundry used possibly by Al Bashir and his men to make the money hard to track.
When it comes to the leaders and presidents , the sanctions are not applied as you think.
@Mostafa, I am quoting Ocampo still it is not used as a term for crusades now more about a term used to describe a hero in a holy mission with huge popularity in his home country
It is sensitive for us yet we must understand how it is being used now.
@ anonymous#1 , it is not some but in all ME and African countries my dear.
@ anonymous#2 , and they are doing their job great
@Sudanese Commentator , this is very wise remark , but do not forget Ocampo said that Llyod's bank may know the whereabout of that money , I think Llyod's was a transfer channel in a long money laundry used possibly by Al Bashir and his men to make the money hard to track.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to the leaders and presidents , the sanctions are not applied as you think.
Huh?!
So Bashir is in league with Lloyds who are in league with the US administration in applying the economic sanctions against Sudan, apart from those pertaining to the Sudan's President who is indicted by the ICC and who the US repeatedly asks to 'cooperate' with the ICC - i.e. hand himself over to it for prosecution......???!
All assets of the Sudanese government in the US have been frozen and seized and compensation was paid out to the USS Cole victims families from those assets.
What next?
Khamenei has an account at Barclays..?
You didn't include the whole report and the bumbling examples Ocampo gives of bleeding sharks...
He is in many ways a legal embarrassment.
In this instance, Ocampo is quite simply talking out of his backside.
Sudanese commentator
Well, no matter how corrupt the officials in Sudan might be, no one can top the corruption of the Egyptian political and business clans. They are stealing from left and right, from money donated to the country, to public funds, to buying out w corrupt yet legal on their face way, public projects. Stories about how Allaa and his father in law control several business sectors, stories about how GAMAL forced Ezz's way to buy the steel production unit and licenses, stories about how the father, is known himself to have a commission and fee for solving business problems, and btw the hourly fee isnt as high as one would expect from a president, stories about how several top officials hide their assets through their wives, kids and relatives, and very few are clean the majority arent and this includes those among them posing as caring for the ppl.
ReplyDelete@Sudanese Commentator , I think I have posted the link to that cable so you can read it. My dear have you ever wonder how the family of Saddam still live in a standard none of us are living at despite the real sanctions Iraq faced after the invasion of Kuwait !?
ReplyDeleteDo you think that Al Bashir or Mubarak will use his real name in the bank account !!?
I do not understand how you defend a man like Al Bashir who delightfully is witnessing the end of Sudan after contributing perfectly in this end.
@anonymous#2 , when that regime will fall , we will find the Ali Baba cave open in front of us !!
@ Zeinobia - you're saying that Saddam's family also had billions stashed in 'western' bank accounts?!
ReplyDeleteAnyone who reads the thread will see that no one is 'defending' Bashir but rather intelligently questioning the 'credibility' of a rather tatty leak.
Is Bashir's regime corrupt?
Yes.
Is it mildly conceivable that his funds would be stashed in a bank which is floated on US stock exchanges in light of the strict US economic sanctions...?
No.
And what do you mean the witnessing the end of Sudan?
Are those the terms you use to describe the right of self-determination of the peoples of South Sudan...?
Sudanese commentator