ACP foreign ministers renew their support to Sudan’s Bashir over ICC move
October 1, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — The foreign ministers of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group) renewed today their support to the Sudanese President, Omer Hassan Al-Bashir, against his indictment by Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The Meeting which is held on Wednesday in preparation for the ACP summit called on the ICC to write off the lawsuit against Al-Bashir. It also urged to allow political and diplomatic efforts to find a just and sustainable solution to the conflict in Darfur.
On July 25, the ACP had issued a statement in which the 79 state members slammed the ICC move calling it a threat to regional peace and stability.
In mid-July the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo announced that he is seeking an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir.
The ICC’s prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo filed 10 charges: three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder. It was only last week that judges have started reviewing the case in a process that could possibly drag on to next year.
Al-Bashir arrived today to the capital of Ghana, Accra, to take part in the Sixth Summit of the ACP Group. He was received by his Ghanaian counterpart John Kufuor
As chairman of the current session, he would make a speech about what has been achieved during the last two years and the future of the partnership between the ACP and the European Union. He also would tackle government efforts to end Darfur crisis.
Fearing a possible release of an arrest warrant by the judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Bashir since last August doesn’t travel abroad before getting guarantee from the host country he would not be delivered to the world court.
(ST)