In one of the most serious manifestations of the dangers and arrogance of
dependence on logic of force in international relations, the United States
of America under its previous administration, has bombed and destroyed, on
this day, five years back, one of the Sudanese industrial establishments
which was a successful model in one of the developing countries aspiring to
ensure medical necessities and life-saving medicines for its people as well
as combating endemic diseases including malaria, Tuberculosis and others.
On 20th August 1998, the U.S. warhead missile 'Tomahawk' was launched to
brutally destroy and in few seconds AlShifa Pharmaceutical Factory,
depriving millions of Sudanese and citizens of neighbouring countries alike from their medical needs, along with a loss of livelihood suffered by hundreds of Sudanese families, in addition to the destruction of a nearby confectionery factory. Done on basis of fabricated and unfounded information, it is a paradox that the sole super power with latest
verification and monitoring know-how means was unable to check and analyze
the credibility of its information before committing a human crime against
one of the least developed countries.
The previous US Administration justified its action by alleging that the
factory is owned by Osama Bin Laden; a fabrication that was immediately
refuted by the various US institutions who categorically resolved that the
factory has no relationship whatsoever with the development of chemical
weapons. The former White House Spokesman Martin Petzwater has added that
the destruction of the factory was a cover-up action of the known scandals
that surrounded the previous administration. The New Yorker Magazines
confirmed in an article that the CIA has removed one hundred reports on
Sudan from its files after discovering that their contents were completely
fabricated. The frozen assets of the factory owner were released, and the
issue is pending in final court ruling for compensation for which one of the congressmen is pursuing.
But, despite of all that, the American
Administration could not acknowledge the mistake it had committed nor could
it apologize. It does not even think of the replacement of the factory in
order to meet the needs of the affected civil population that lost their
rights to receive medicine. Indeed, had America accepted or acted on part
of
that, such would have been a triumph of logic of right and this would have
laid the foundation of a reasonably good conduct in international
relations.
While appreciating the endeavours by the present American Administration
towards the resolution of the Southern Sudan question, the Government and
people of the Sudan are concerned over attempts by some sectors in the
American Government who are pursuing the same path of fabrications that led
to the destruction of AlShifa Pharmaceutical Factory, and relying on the
same false information as basis for US policy towards Sudan. For more than
a
decade, the US Congress, has resorted to issuing condemnations and
provoking
the Administration to impose sactions against Sudan without proof or
evidence, using allegations of fundamentalists and extremist religious
groups along with some other circles hostile to all earthly religions.
These sanctions have prolonged the civil strife and deprived the people of
other medical needs and of needed spare parts. The "Sudan Peace Act" is an
evidence of such machination.
The Government of Sudan, while retaining its right to preserving its
interests in the face of aggression, calls upon the human rights groups and
humanitarian institutions in the U.S. and the world over to pressurize the
American Government to admit its crime in attacking the AlShifa
Pharmaceutical Factory and to compensate its owners and the owner of the
nearby confectionery factory, as well as to undertake construction of a
factory replacing the destroyed one and to offer an apology, while adopting
a balanced policy based on scrutinized facts and verified information,
along
with the lifting of all sanctions unjustly imposed on the Sudan. Such is
the
only way that can remove this painful memory from the minds of the Sudanese
people and the poor people of developing countries.
Sudan hopes that this anniversary will induce the great decision-making
powers to exercise care and caution by resorting to international
organizations, international law and conventions towards the preservation of international peace and security. Such is the only way to
control all aspects and phenomenon of violence and terrorism, and the
prevalence of values of tolerance and co-existence among the different
cultures and beliers.