Many migrants and refugees travel through Sudan
SEATTLE (USA), June 15— A Boeing worker who reads Red Flag listened intently as a comrade explained why he went to a demonstration downtown against the Sudanese massacre. After talking for a long while, the comrade wondered whether the worker thought he was lecturing her.
“No, no! Keep talking. This is important,” she assured him.
She wasn’t the only one. Often, the comrade couldn’t get away from a co-worker once a discussion started.
Many had heard about massacres over the years in eastern Africa, particularly Darfur. They were especially interested in the culpability of the U.S., the European Union (E.U.), Saudi Arabia and Boeing corporate bosses.
The comrade explained that they brought Red Flag to the demonstration to explain why communism was the only way to stop fascist terror.
Border Control from Hell
Armed militias (Janjaweed) in Sudan, some recruited from Chad and other French-speaking African countries, carried out the Darfur massacre. In the last decade, they were recommissioned as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The E.U. began financing them a few years ago under a program called the “Khartoum Process” to the tune of hundreds of millions of euros. This money was aimed at “Better Migration Management.” The Obama administration sent millions more.
The RSF’s chief job was to stop migrants from Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa at the southern Sudanese border. They also patrolled the northern border to prevent Sudanese from taking the routes through Egypt and Libya that eventually led to Europe.
There are thousands of well-documented cases of migrant torture, extortion and murder by the RSF. It is headed by the butcher Hemeti. Now he has ordered his racist thugs into Khartoum and other cities to massacre demonstrators.
“I hate the Janjaweed!” exclaimed a Boeing friend born in sub-Saharan Africa. “They killed and raped my family and friends who fled the war” between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Many Boeing workers made the connection to the new National Guard in Mexico and the militarization of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement patrols in the U.S.
“These armed border forces seem to cultivate a fascist mindset,” said a young worker. “It must have something to do with giving these border agents free rein to attack people from another country and ‘race.’”
To add insult to injury, European Union (EU). politicians are “condemning” the massacres perpetuated by the very armed forces they and the U.S. rulers financed.
Unfortunately, the demonstration organizers followed the E.U. playbook by demanding Hemeti be brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Many well-meaning people suffer under the illusion that the ICC represents a law that can rein in the horrors of capitalism. It never has and it never will.
The only answer to capitalism’s horrors is communist revolution which will unleash the power of the working class to deal with these butchers ourselves.
Red Flag Opens the Door
When demonstrators saw the headline of the Red Flag article on Sudan they opened up to comrades. “Fascist Massacre Needs Revolutionary Communist Response” touched a nerve.
Defying the image presented in the bosses’ media, women wearing hijabs took the lead. One young woman took the time to explain the issues in detail to our comrades.
Saudi Arabian billionaires had bought up most of the arable land. They were not only an imperialist force, but often the direct bosses of many Sudanese workers.
Hemeti was the Saudis’ man in Sudan. He publicly supported the Saudi bombing in Yemen. Many Sudanese were appalled by the slaughter of Yemenis. Boeing has made millions selling smart bombs responsible for the deaths.
Never Underestimate the Working Class
Many Boeing workers are interested in the fate of the workers around the world. Tens of thousands of eastern African migrants and their children live in the Seattle-Tacoma area. Comrades and friends know quite a few.
Our next step must be to organize a collective meeting with these friends and comrades. The topic for discussion: how to advance this international communist response.
We’ll answer the chant “Hemeti to the ICC!” with a call to mobilize masses of workers for communism, for a world without borders and fascist border patrols.
“Communist power to the workers!”
Communism, Not Democracy, Must Become Goal of Sudanese Revolutionaries
LOS ANGELES, USA, June 20—“Revolution – it’s what the people want!” It sounded catchier in Arabic. Young Sudanese and Sudanese-Americans, mostly women, led this and other chants at a rally in front of the Saudi consulate. Later they moved on to the Emirati consulate.
Demonstrations like these – and larger – have taken place in Durban (South Africa), Nairobi (Kenya), Winnipeg (Canada), Great Britain, France, Germany, Australia and elsewhere.
Many of the 80 protesters in Los Angeles had come from as far away as San Francisco. Most were Sudanese. Though most of the women were hijabis, an organizer emphasized that “we are not a Muslim group, we are not a Christian group.”
A comrade was one of the few non-Sudanese there. She distributed about 25 copies of Red Flag. Some others took the paper, knowing it was communist, and later politely gave it back. Probably these “democracy” protesters objected to armed revolution.
The comrade exchanged contact information with several people. One said right away, “You should get in touch with Sudanese communists.”
“Help me do it!” the comrade replied. “And I hope that someone can translate our articles about Sudan into Arabic.”
Another young activist was very interested in hearing about why our party has broken from the old Marxist tradition and mobilizes directly for communism.
A few days later, at a friend’s party, the comrade was talking about the rally with a new acquaintance who grew up in Argentina. “Most Americans don’t pay attention to the rest of the world,” he said.
“I’m political, a communist,” she answered. “It’s our responsibility to know what’s happening to our international working-class family.” Her new friend was happy to see Red Flag.
More on Sudan
Sudan: Fascist Massacre Needs Revolutionary Communist Response
Sudan: Fight for a Communist Dictatorship of the Working Class
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