Sudan: AU urges UN to consider African request for ICC suspension

August 4, 2008 (KHARTOUM) – African Union Chief has urged the U.N. Security Council to take in account the African Union request to suspend the ICC prosecution against the Sudanese president al-Bashir.

Flanked by the AU Peace and Security Commissioner Ramtane Lamamra, AU Commission chairman, Jean Ping, held a series of meeting with the Sudanese officials in Khartoum including the Sudanese president, his two deputies, Salva Kiir Mayadrit, Ali Osman Taha, Sudanese minister of foreign affairs Deng Alor and presidential assistant Nafi Ali Nafi who is in charge of Darfur peace talks.

The talks focused on the African Union efforts to counter the request of arrest warrant filed by the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor against al-Bashir, the obstacles facing deployment of the hybrid peacekeeping force and ways to make political progress in the political resolution of the conflict.

“We think that this decision should be examined clearly because we are here in Africa and the troops who are here are Africans, those who are dying are Africans,” Ping said reminding the strong involvement of the African body in the peace process and the peacekeeping operation in Darfur.

Speaking about the ICC he further said the concern of the African Union goes not only to “the people who died” but also to “people who are still alive.”

“You should take into account not only the problem of justice but also the problem of peace — together would be very useful.” He added.

Ping also stressed on the need to suspend the action of the international tribunal because by indicting the Sudanese president would ignite the five year conflict.

“While we are trying to extinguish the fire here with our troops, we don’t understand that they chose that moment to put more oil on the fire,” the African official stressed.

Acting on behalf of the AU group, Libya and South African failed to force the U.N. Security Council last week to suspend the ICC prosecutions in the second case of Darfur crimes against the Sudanese president for a period of 12 months.

Instead they had to accept a watered down paragraph taking note of the AU concern on the ICC move to seek an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir.

Ping told reporters that they asked Khartoum to do more in exchange of this strong support for the Sudanese president in terms of peace process and peacekeeping force.

“We think that the Sudanese government has accepted to cooperate with us since the beginning… and we want them to show it more. That’s what we have been discussing with the authorities here,” he said.

The AU chief also said that Sudanese official responded in a positive way to his demand and back political efforts headed by the newly appointed Djibril Bassolé, the joint chief mediator for Darfur peace talks. In addition they gave assurances on commitment to cooperate with the deployment of the troops of the peacekeeping mission and equipment.

Foreign ministry spokesman Ali al-Sadiq said the two parties agreed that “if Sudan and the African Union made major breakthroughs in UNAMID and the political process… (this) may ease tension between Sudan the ICC.”

While this approach seems in line with European perception of the next step towards the suspension of the ICC prosecution on Darfur crimes, the U.S. Administration insists more on their support for the international court to put an end to the impunity in Darfur.

“There is no compromise on the issue of justice, the climate of impunity has gone on for too long and the United States felt it was time to stand up on this point of moral clarity that this permanent member of the UNSC will not compromise on the issue of justice” he stressed.

In explaining the abstention US Representative to the UN Alejandro Wolff said his government strongly supports UNAMID but that the “language added to the resolution would send the wrong signal to the Sudanese president Omar Hassan Al-Bashir and undermine efforts to bring him and others to justice”.

Ocampo filed 10 charges against the Sudanese president: three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder. Judges are expected to take months to study the evidence before deciding whether to order Al-Bashir’s arrest.

(ST)