Sudan president leaves Qatar without meeting UN chief
November 30, 2008 (DOHA) – The Sudanese president Omar Hassan Al-Bashir returned home after taking part in the UN development conference that was held in the Arab Gulf state of Qatar.
However the state agency made no mention of any summit between Al-Bashir and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon who was present during the conference.
On Friday SUNA reported that Al-Bashir will hold a number of meetings on the sidelines of the conference including one with the UN chief.
There was no official explanation of why the meeting never took place.
Last July the daily Al-Hayat newspaper published in London reported that Ban has been advised by his counsels to “distance himself politically” from the Sudanese president.
The daily Al-Hayat newspaper published in London said that the recommendation was submitted on the basis of the request made by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Luis Moreno-Ocampo to issue an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir.
Ocampo filed 10 charges: three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder and accused Al-Bashir of masterminding a campaign to get rid of the African tribes in Darfur; Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa.
At the time Ban’s spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters that it is up to the UN chief to decide what do with such advice.
Al-Hayat quoting unidentified aides of Ban described him as “disappointed” for Al-Bashir’s refusal to cooperate with the ICC.
The UN head has been criticized by human rights advocates during his visit to Khartoum last year for not pressing Sudan on the Darfur war crimes suspects.
However he responded at the time saying that he did raise the issue with the Sudanese president.
“I raised this issue with President (Omar Hassan) Bashir more than once in a private conversation” he said.
“As my meeting was done in private conversation, I should prefer not to disclose all the details,” he said. “But … I will continue to raise and discuss this matter”.
The officials said that the UN chief does not see a way out unless two suspects indicted by the ICC are extradited to the seat of the court.
The judges of the ICC issued their first arrest warrants for suspects accused of war crimes in Sudan’s Darfur region a year ago.
The warrants were issued for Ahmed Haroun, state minister for humanitarian affairs, and militia commander Ali Mohamed Ali Abdel-Rahman, also know as Ali Kushayb. Sudan has so far rejected handing over the two suspects.
Sudan has not ratified the Rome Statue, but the UNSC invoked 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)