Negus Media InternationalNMICopyright © Mark Rogers Photography
photos

Interview 

Conference Facilitator

Back to Interview Archive


Negus Media International
FURTHER INFORMATION:

Kirsty Cockburn
kirsty@negusmedia.com.au
Sydney Office:
Ph: (61) 2 9818 3537
Fax: (61) 2 9818 3854
Mobile: 0427 122396

Regional Office:
989 Promised Land Road
via Bellingen NSW 2454

HALIMA BASHIR INTERVIEW - Wednesday, 30 July, 2008

TRANSCRIPT

At the end of one of the hutongs, the 360-odd narrow alleys that criss-cross the city, Dateline came across these folk, old Beijing still does exist. Life for these people has probably changed very little for decades, if not longer. But you have to wonder if they had any idea of the burgeoning economic power that their country has become. Did they know about China's role in places like Darfur and Sudan in Africa? Do they know that China buys the bulk of Sudan's oil and is accused of supplying arms to the militia and regime there, charged with genocide and crimes against humanity? I doubt it. On the score of Darfur, before Dateline left Sydney, George Negus spoke with a young Sudanese doctor who survived a brutal rape in Darfur and is now hiding in London. Her name is Halima Bashir, and when you hear her horrific story, you'll know why she doesn't want to reveal her face.

GEORGE NEGUS: Halima, thank you very much for talking to us like this. I was wondering if I could ask you why you are wearing the veil, why you are covered? Is it for religious reasons because you're a Muslim, or because you're afraid for your life and you're afraid to reveal how you look?

HALIMA BASHIR, AYTHOR, ‘TEARS OF THE DESERT.’: Well, it is for many reasons. The first one is because I am not feeling, um... safety. And because still the Sudanese Government is looking for me and they are following me everywhere. That is why some sort of... um, to hide my identity.

GEORGE NEGUS: And you have had death threats, as I understand it. Who are the people who have been threatening you with death?

HALIMA BASHIR: The Sudanese Government people.

GEORGE NEGUS: Could I ask you, what did you see? We have your book with us, and it is an absolutely horrendous story, an awful ordeal that you have been through. Kidnapped for speaking out and then subjected to awful torture and rape yourself, what did you see that you told others about, including the UN, that upset the government so much that they decided to ill-treat you as well?

HALIMA BASHIR: Yes, it is because I have been here in this country, I escaped all the war, the discrimination, the violence against our people there. I have the chance to speak out to tell the world what is happening exactly. Because particularly the women, they are the weakest people in our community, and they have been abducted and they have been killed. And my story is just one of the hundreds and thousands of other Darfuri women.

GEORGE NEGUS: There is a particular incident that has caught people's attention because it was so horrific. I know it must be difficult, but can you tell us about that?

HALIMA BASHIR: Yes. It was in early 2004. There is a school of girls which is situated in Darfur, in north Darfur. The schoolgirls have been attacked by the Janjaweed militia supported by the government soldiers. They rape about... more than 40 girls. They were just children, their age between 8 and 13. I was working in the small clinic there. I treated most of the girls, about 13 girls. They were in horrible, horrible condition - psychologically shocked, were bleeding, trauma, crying non-stop. Very horrifying incident. When just to think about an incident like this the people who commit this crime, you think as if this is not normal person.

GEORGE NEGUS: Inhuman, in fact?

HALIMA BASHIR: Absolutely - not human being who commits crimes like this for small children. These people just do such things like this, for especially women and children, like kind of weapon, kind of war because they want to destroy us completely.

GEORGE NEGUS: When you were taken by the secret police, what happened when they took you away and interrogated you? What was your particular experience?

HALIMA BASHIR: I have been abducted and I have been raped by five different men, soldiers. They said that "Because you have a very long tongue and you spoke out, this is a lesson for you." After that they let me go and they said, "Now go if you want to, if you are now able to talk to the other people, to talk to the world and tell them."

GEORGE NEGUS: Who do think is responsible for the situation in Darfur? Why is the government of Khartoum and the militia getting away with the genocide?

HALIMA BASHIR: The government, they don't like any African or any black origin people. They took our lands, they took our farms, they took our houses, they destroy everything. And they support the Arab militia, the Janjaweed, against us. The government is standing behind this crime and this genocide and this crimes against humanity in Darfur.

GEORGE NEGUS: Halima, just earlier this month the International Criminal Court decided that they would indict the President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, for masterminding a campaign of extermination and rape in your country, the sorts of things you've been telling us about. Do think that will make any difference whatsoever? Does that give you any hope?

HALIMA BASHIR: I can't explain how happy I am now. Because now I feel that as if justice is coming on the way. Because this is coming to the top, to the President, who is responsible for what had been happening.

GEORGE NEGUS: What do you think the international community should be doing about the role of China in Darfur? Because you actually say towards the end of your book that the real problem is that China is providing so much support, buying oil from Darfur and selling arms to Khartoum and to the militia.

HALIMA BASHIR: Well, the Chinese people have lots of investment in Sudan. They have a good relationship with the Sudanese Government. I hope for China not to interfere in Darfur. This is absolutely delaying, stopping the crisis in Darfur.

GEORGE NEGUS: Halima, thank you very much for talking to us and telling us your story and giving us your views on how the situation can be rectified in Darfur. Thank you very much.

HALIMA BASHIR: OK, thank you very much.