Sudanese protest at Arab League in Cairo

Hundreds of Sudanese in the Republic of Egypt protested in front of the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo yesterday, coinciding with the choosing of a new secretary-general for the league. The protesters demanded the Arab nations not to receive President Omar Al Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, and to hand him to the Court. Protesters stressed on the importance of imposing a no-fly zone on Darfur and offering humanitarian aid to the displaced people and the refugees. The protesters repeated slogans saying: the people want to hand over Al Bashir, and urged the Arab League to adopt an ethical stand for the people and not the regime. The Sudanese in Egypt supported the Qatari-nominated Dr. Mustafa Elfaki for the post of the secretary-general.

On the other hand, the protesters appealed to the Arab League to grant them the funds especially for Darfur, since in various meetings the League had agreed to contributions estimated to be two billion dollars, which however will be given through the government. Additionally, Qatar has committed two billion dollars for the province. The protesters demanded that the funds should be set for the victims of the war in Sudan and for the construction and community development and supporting the refugees. The protesters also demanded any private funds meant for Darfur not to be given to the government, accusing the government of using the funds for war crimes and genocide. The protesters also called for placing the province under international custody to protect the civilian from violence.