- guardian.co.uk, Monday July 28 2008 21.00 BST
Recent developments in Sudan have provoked legal and diplomatic debate, but a particular story about people there giving voice to their sentiments fascinated me. Apparently a design of tobe (the traditional garment worn by Sudanese women) called "the Ocampo" went on sale this week in a market in the capital, Khartoum.
Sudan is in the news because the chief prosecutor of the international criminal court (ICC), Luis Moreno-Ocampo, just requested an arrest warrant for Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. It is the first time charges have been brought against a sitting head of state in the ICC's history.
The decision triggered a flurry of speculation from observers, including fear that the move will mobilise the Sudanese population in support of Bashir. There were protests about it in Khartoum, supposedly in support of the government. But there's plenty of evidence to the contrary. Speak to people in the country and they'll tell you that, like the protests against teddy-bear teacher Gillian Gibbons, these were choreographed by a media-savvy government. Spend some time on web forums and you'll soon gather that the mood of many in Sudan is firmly in favour of the charges.
So what about the tobe? The garment is to Sudan what kilts are to Scots. Naming a tobe pattern after the Argentine prosecutor pursuing their president for crimes in Darfur may be tongue-in-cheek, but it is also a risky and brave thing to do. The fact that it has been so popular says a lot about the Sudanese spirit.
For 30 years Sudan has been in the grip of an oppressive and undemocratic regime which has prosecuted civil war and persecuted the opposition. It has imposed on the population a rigid version of Islam that is completely at odds with the inclusive spirit of Sudan's culture and history. Omdurman, the part of Khartoum where the market is located, is the hinterland of conservative, devout Sudan. The market itself is a vast warren of stalls and shops selling everything under the sun and is used by everyone in the capital. If nothing else, this shows that defiance of the regime isn't confined to a liberal elite or diaspora but is widespread and popular.
One piece of sartorial satire doesn't make a revolution (although there's rumoured to be an "Ocampo dance" as well), but often these are the only ways an exasperated people can subtly, collusively express their solidarity. And satire is a potent "weapon of the weak". Even in the most adverse circumstances – having been trampled into the ground by 30 years of neglect and civil war – people still have an irrepressible urge to give voice to their opinions, even in the most modest way.
Leaving aside the arguments about the effect of Ocampo's move on diplomacy or stability, there is a genuine swell of approval amongst Sudanese people that this despot be stripped of his impunity and, along with his cronies, held accountable for the terrible atrocities committed in Darfur. There will be many who reject this European intervention but, make no mistake, many in Sudan also support the ICC's decision. The court must not let them down.
Staff
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