Sudanese celebrate AU 50th anniversary their own way
25 May, 2013by Mohmed osman
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (Sudanow)- For many ordinary Sudanese it was news, that one of their leaders was a founding father of the Organization of African unity, thanks to a show mounted by the Sudanese National group for Human Rights, currently taking part in the celebrations marking the Golden Jubilee of the pan-African body, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
A Historic exhibition, one of the few mounted during the celebrations, showed Ibrahim Aboud, no nonsense general who ruled Sudan shortly after independence, 1959-1964, standing proudly to the 5th to the right Emperor Haile Selassie in the first OAU summit meeting photo opportunity, 1963.
The Sudanese Group, a coalition of 35 civil society organizations, believes it was time Sudanese know more about their nation contribution in the African arena.
“We think we have greatly contributed in the establishment of the African unity and we want to celebrate this success” Ibrahim Abdul Halim, head of the group currently in Addis Ababa, told sudanow.info.sd.
He said Sudan is also thankful to the African Unity and its High level Implementation Panel, led by former south African President Thabo Mbeki, for helping bring peace to the country, ending 25 years of war and giving birth to the newest nations that joined the AU, South Sudan.
The exhibition also showed Dr Mamoon Buhairi, the first president of the African Development Bank, a Sudanese national who was minister of finance and the Governor of the Central Bank of the Sudan.
“Well only a few people know that it was a Sudanese national, Izzul-Din AlSayed, who spurred the pan-African Parliament and who headed its first session.” Halim said.
For the Sudanese group, the 50 anniversary was an opportunity to let the youth and the general public know that their country is indebted to the African union, for reaching the 2005 peace agreement, but that it also continued to play a pivotal role in mending the fences with South Sudan over border disputes and also in helping bring peace and stability to the troubled region of Darfur, through the hybrid forces, the United Nations African Union (UNAMID).
“We think celebrating our success as Africans should also mean honoring the people who helped bring peace, not only in the Sudan and in south Sudan but in the continent in general. That is why we are taking this opportunity to hour our leaders, Thabo Mbeki the chair of AUHIP, Dr Zuma, AU Commissioner, President Omar Bashir of Sudan, and President Salva Kiir of South Sudan, to mention but few.” Halim underlined.
The honoring ceremony will take part on the sideline of the summit meetings in Addis Ababa, he said.
The exhibition which was officially inaugurated by the Sudanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ali Karti, on Thursday in Addis Ababa, also revealed documents showing how Sudan has been a major assistant to the SWAPO, ANC, Congolese, Zambia and Zimbabwean freedom fighters.
“This is really wonderfully informative exhibition” the Sudanese Minister said after touring the exhibition in the old building of the African unity, in Addis Ababa, saying Sudan, and on the sport donated 10,000 usd dollars to the group in appreciation for their effort, the organizers told PANA.
“You see even in football, one of the founding members of the CAF, is a Sudanese, Mohamed Abdul Halim, famous for Haleem. So for us this is an opportunity not only to celebrate the AU 50th anniversary but also an opportunity to show the continent our contributions as well.” Halim said.
Sudan’s permanent representative to the AU, Abdul Rahaman Sirul Khatim, said for the Sudan AU remains the organization in which his country continues to have confidence, not only in maintenance of the peace already reached but equally in helping settle all other disputes in Sudan and elsewhere in the continent.
“We have full confidence on the AU and continue to have confidence in its various bodies, involved in peace making in the Sudan” the ambassador said.
For Sudan, it seems the beauty of the vision that a Pan-African body should be the lead in settling differences and spurring prosperity and development, is crystalized in their daily lives: peace realization.
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