ICC prosecutor briefs Senegal’s president on Darfur case
August 11, 2008 (DAKAR) — The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Monday briefed the Senegalese president about the ICC investigation in Darfur as part of an effort to urge African leaders to help end crimes there.
“I was providing him with some details as to why I am pursuing these cases in Sudan,” he added.
In July Moreno-Ocampo asked ICC judges to issue a warrant for the arrest of Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir. The ICC accuses Beshir of personally instructing his forces to annihilate three non-Arab ethnic groups in Darfur, masterminding murder, torture, pillaging and the use of rape to commit genocide.
“I believe these massive crimes (in Darfur) cannot be committed without political support so if the African leaders are clear about the crimes they will be very important in stopping the crimes, because at the end of the day the victims are African women who are being raped and killed in the camps, the victims are African children exposed to conditions that mean they will die,” the prosecutor explained.
“I believe we have a common goal to stop the crimes,” he said, adding that he would continue to regularly brief African and Arab leaders on the situation in Darfur.
The judges have not yet ruled on the request and Moreno-Ocampo said he is expecting their decision “two to three months after the end of August”.
Senegal was the first country to ratify the treaty creating the ICC, the world’s first permanent war crimes court, and sees itself as an African champion of human rights.
Recently Wade, who has good relations with the Sudanese government, called on the ICC to freeze the investigation into Beshir arguing the probe could plunge Darfur into chaos.
Despite Wade’s friendship with Beshir, the ICC prosecutor said the Senegalese president again pledged his commitment to the ICC on Monday.
“You can be friends but the law is the law,” Moreno-Ocampo said, recalling that Wade had called several times for the violence in Darfur to stop.
Wade even warned Beshir that he would be arrested if he came to Senegal after judges approved an ICC arrest warrant.
The Senegalese president revealed last month that he told his Sudanese counterpart during a phone conversation that he will not be able to offer him refuge after a possible arrest warrant.
Wade speaking from Chicago told Senegal News Agency (APS) that he informed Sudanese president Omar Hassan Al-Bashir that they are party to the ICC and they cannot “make an exception”.
He also noted that while he has “strong friendship” with Al-Bashir he is also a “fervent campaigner for human rights”.
(AFP)