China and Qatar block Security Council statement on Darfur crimes

December 9, 2007 (UNITED NATIONS) — The UN Security Council (UNSC) failed to agree on a presidential statement supporting the arrest of Darfur war crime suspect and their extradition to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Italy’s UN envoy Marcello Spatafora, who is also the UNSC president for December, said that the council members felt a statement was “not needed” since the briefing by the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo was “loud and clear”.

Spatafora also noted that the UNSC members have already said what they feel about the matter during the briefing by Ocampo last Thursday.

Ocampo formally told the UNSC that Khartoum “has not complied with resolution 1593. The government of Sudan is not cooperating with my office or the court”.

The UNSC issued resolution 1593 under chapter VII in March 2005 referring the situation in Darfur to the ICC.

After 18 months of investigation Ocampo charged Ahmed Haroun, state minister for humanitarian affairs, and militia commander Ali Kushayb with crimes including murder, torture, persecution and intentionally attacking civilians.

The judges of the ICC approved Ocampo’s request last May and issued their first arrest warrants for Haroun and Kushayb accused of war crimes in Darfur. Sudan has refused to hand over the suspects to the ICC.

British Ambassador John Sawers told reporters after the briefing that the UNSC is working on a presidential statement that would express concern over the failure to arrest the suspects. He said that he hoped that the statement can be adopted this week.

The Inner City press website quoting unidentified UNSC envoy as saying that China was trying to water down the statement “so much that their might be no statement at all”.

China has abstained from voting on resolution 1593 causing anger among members of Sudanese government at the time, including 2nd Vice president Ali Osman Taha, who were expecting a veto from their close ally.

Sudan’s UN ambassador Abdel-Mahmood Mohamad also told Inner City press website that Qatar and South Africa opposed the statement. However he noted that the latter was forced to take different position since they are state parties of the ICC.

Sudan has not ratified the Rome Statue, but the UN Security Council triggered the provisions under the Statue that enables it to refer situations in non-State parties to the world court if it deems that it is a threat to international peace and security.

(ST)