Sudan’s Darfur culprits will face international court – British minister

Oct 1, 2005 (LONDON) — Those who commit atrocities in the troubled Darfur region of Sudan will face trial by the International Criminal Court, a senior British official said Saturday.

“The government of Sudan has should be under no doubt whatsoever – we (the international community) are serious about our commitment to support the International Criminal Court,” International Development Secretary Hilary Benn said.

“It is doing its work and those who are committing these crimes will in the end be brought to account.”

The United Nations has condemned a militia attack on a refugee camp in western Darfur this week that killed 34 men.

The Darfur crisis began early in 2003 when rebels took up arms against what they saw as years of state neglect and discrimination against Sudanese of African origin. The government is accused of responding with a counterinsurgency campaign in which the ethnic Arab militia, known as Janjaweed, committed widespread abuses against ethnic Africans.

In an interview with British Broadcasting Corp. radio, Benn said the only way for the government and the rebels to settle their differences was through peace talks taking place in Abuja, Nigeria.

“These latest attacks are very worrying and those who are committing them have to be very clear – they have to stop and politics has to be used to find a solution,” he said.

Benn said the International Criminal Court in The Hague is collecting evidence about atrocities in Darfur. “When it thinks it is in a position to press charges it will take the necessary action and the international community has got to support that,” he said.

(AP/ST)