Sudan vows ‘strong’ response to ICC arrest attempt of Darfur suspect
June 8, 2008 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government said it may take unspecified action against the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) after he revealed a failed plan to arrest Darfur war crimes suspect.
This week the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo told Sudan Tribune that the world court attempted to divert a plane that carried Ahmed Haroun, state minister for humanitarian affairs, on his way to Saudi Arabia in December to perform the annual Islamic pilgrimage.
The plan was coordinated with a number of unidentified countries. The Saudi government was made aware of it, according to Ocampo.
Sudan’s U.N. ambassador Abdel-Mahmood Mohamad told the daily Al-Rayaam that government agencies are reviewing the information disclosed by the ICC after which they may formulate “a strong response”.
However he did not elaborate on what steps may be taken against the ICC prosecutor.
Last April the Sudanese diplomat demanded that Ocampo be brought before a court of law for “jeopardizing the peace process in Darfur”.
But the Rome Statue which forms the basis of the ICC confers diplomatic immunity on the prosecutor similar to “heads of diplomatic missions”. Moreover the prosecutor retains lifetime immunity from legal proceedings relating to any actions taken by him during his term in office.
Mohamad also said that a draft presidential statement circulated by Costa Rica calling on Sudan to cooperate with the ICC, failed to see the light after six UN Security Council (UNSC) countries objected to it.
The Sudanese official said that the countries including China, Russia, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Libya and Indonesia argued that the statement “will spoil the peace efforts in Darfur”.
Earlier this week a Western Diplomat told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that a presidential statement could not be adopted until the UNSC delegation touring Africa returns to New York.
Sudan has not ratified the Rome Statue, but the (UNSC) invoked the provisions under the Statue in March 2005 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)