Sudan’s Bashir formally charged by ICC on Darfur war crimes but not genocide
By Wasil Ali
March 4, 2009 (WASHINGTON) — The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced that its judges approved charges made by its prosecutor against Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.
The ICC announced that the arrest warrant was issued for seven counts out of for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. However the gencoide charges were dropped.
On July 14th 2008 the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-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.
The spokeswoman for the court in The Hague, Laurence Blairon, said the court would transmit as soon as possible to the government of Sudan a request for his arrest and surrender.
“He is suspected of being criminally responsible … for intentionally directing attacks against an important part of the civilian population of Darfur, Sudan, murdering, exterminating, raping, torturing and forcibly transferring large numbers of civilians, and pillaging their property” Blairon said.
Ocampo speaking to reporters today said that “our next work to be sure the arrest warrant is excuted.
Sudanese presidential adviser Mustafa Osman Ismail said the government was not surprised by the decision.
“They do not want Sudan … to become stable,” he said.
US based Human Rights Watch (HRW) hailed the decision saying it means that “even those at the top may be held to account for mass murder, rape and torture”.
“With this arrest warrant, the International Criminal Court has made Omar al-Bashir a wanted man,” said Richard Dicker, director of the International Justice Program at Human Rights Watch. “Not even presidents are guaranteed a free pass for horrific crimes. By ruling there is a case for President al-Bashir to answer for the horrors of Darfur, the warrant breaks through Khartoum’s repeated denials of his responsibility.”
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s envoy for Sudan criticized the decision.
“The untimely decision of the International Criminal Court creates a dangerous precedent in the system of international relations and could have a negative effect both on the situation inside Sudan and on the general regional situation,” said Mikhail Margelov.
The United States said on Wednesday in response to an arrest warrant issued for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir that those who committed atrocities must be brought to justice.
“The United States believes those who have committed atrocities should be brought to justice,” State Department spokesman Robert Wood said during a trip by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Jerusalem.
Wood added that any attacks against civilians and foreign interests in Sudan “must be avoided and will not be tolerated”. The United States, he said, would support an immediate ceasefire and a long-term peace in Sudan
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Concerned African
Sudan’s Bashir formally charged by ICC on Darfur war crimes but not genocide
Sudanese, let us maintain peace and stability in the regions, the Court has already decided, whether we demonstrate, fight each other, kill and demolish it will be for our own loss.
Leaders look into this matter seriously and guide the masses the right way, whether we riot and kill and distroy and do all sorts of things the Arrest Warrant still stands, its time for Sudan to prove to the world that we can maintain peace even at very trying times. God be with us all through the way Amen.
manyok R
Sudan’s Bashir formally charged by ICC on Darfur war crimes but not genocide
Al bashire would be a tragic fallen hero from Islam or Arabs’s peopple, but for us the victims of his vicious crimes of mass murders, rapes, and discriminations, we will always remember him as Villainous tyrant we ever had in history of our country Sudan. Thanks to the ICC and World at large. There is a little of a just belief in the World. We south Sudanese and Darfur victims will never ever forget this day in our history as long as our history will go.
Chol Manyiel
Sudan’s Bashir formally charged by ICC on Darfur war crimes but not genocide
Congratulation ICC for issuing arrest warrant to Mr. Bashir. He must be tried in the court. There is no way of escaping the long arms of the law
Atenymaker
Sudan’s Bashir formally charged by ICC on Darfur war crimes but not genocide
No more talks but action. FISHER rules r no more valid; take your own cross or switch off the engine.
Sudanese had for ages experience dictatorship, overrides and tyrancy in the rightiousness of thier citeznship.
Mr:Marshal/ Bashir, please go and justify yourself or you would let the angry wolf onto sudanese society & children.
Please go in accopany of the two first ones for they will lighten your loads.
Every dog has its own day.
Thon Daakdit
Sudan’s Bashir formally charged by ICC on Darfur war crimes but not genocide
Yaah Yaah Yaa! Go ICC Go! I wanted to see that happen and if that happen forsure that you announced the arrest warrant as well, ICC will be recognized by then, but now I can’t appreciate anything yet.
Simon Maguor
Sudan’s Bashir formally charged by ICC on Darfur war crimes but not genocide
Thanks to the ICC panel of Judges. Al-Bashir should go to the Hague and account for his deeds. There is absolutely no reason to support political thugs of Al-Bashir’s kind. Let him face justice.African Union should never comment on it for they are the failure of African democracy. A wrong man is a wrong man and should never be backed up no matter whoever he may be. Go! GO! Leave Sudan in Peace. We are tired of Bashir’s tyrranny. Sudan will be peaceful more thas ever before after he has quited it.
Sihs
Sudan’s Bashir formally charged by ICC on Darfur war crimes but not genocide
WE REFUSE ANY SUCH CORRUPTED (WHITE MAN JUSTICE),LONG LIFE BASHEIR , I AM NOT A PRO-GOVERMENT FOLK , BUT SUDAN SHOULD Not accede to the biased double standards of western justice, this is obviously a stupid move to de-root the government, which we as Sundanese we strictly refuse.
Basheir you safe till the last man dies in Sudan, Jihad is always your end resort. and people know how to this word is scary.
Joseph
Sudan’s Bashir formally charged by ICC on Darfur war crimes but not genocide
Thank you Bashire for the time we spent and signing CPA, I appreciated you, the bad thing is that you have no child. but your history will remain as president of Sudan from 1989 to 2009.
Please nominate some one to be a president, do not die like Sadam and let as continue with our baby call CPA.
Kuanlualthoun
Sudan’s Bashir formally charged by ICC on Darfur war crimes but not genocide
I am not agreeing with the so-called ICC decision to arrest the president albashier, because this decision is in fact politised, aiming to destablize the country. Because of the politization of ICC decision, it lost its weight as an Arbitrator.
I don’t have problem with my people in Darfuur or the beloved Southern Sudan, but this arrest is not going to serve any of their iterests, because the West is just trying to carry out her hiden agenda behind the true suffereing and pain of Darfuuri people, Westren are insincere in whatever they do, they are just targetting Sudan Omer Al-bashier because he doesn’t listen to them! because he is doing business with China and not with them, they are just hypocrite porks.
Why calling for the arrest of Al-bashier right now when the country is at peace even though some of the issues are not yet dealt with in Darfuur, we have already seen Dr. Khalil signing some truce with the government of national unity ?? why not calling for the arrest of the president during the war??
EU AND USA are not happy with the developmental projects that are taking place right now in Sudan or Africa and, they are doing whatever in their power to destablize the country, to retard or arrest the developmental projects in Africa, we need to know the game, they want us to depend on them, they don’t want us to develop or even at peace as no one will buy their arms,medicines etc, they are very upset with Omer Al-bashier because of his determination to develop Sudan and to make Sudan a stable and peaceful country, they are just sick with Jealousy and greed!!!!!
Why the did’t call for the arrest Al-Bashier when his SAF were slaughtering southern Sudanese! notice; we lost 2 million people during that stupid war of idiot Dr. John Garang, making it the worst losing war of its kind in the modern history of the mankind! Why the so-called ICC didn’t call
for the arrest of Al-basheir before China started oil business with Sudan?? could EU and USA and their insincere ICC (CLUB)call for the arrest of Al-basheir if he allows their oil companies to operate in Sudan? it is time to wake up and realize the game!!
I am not saying that Al-bashier is the best man in Sudan, but what I don’t like is the way in which Western are trying to cheat the third world countries
, from Latin America to Middle east, from china to Africa, they only like to see themselves rich and happy, they are very jealouse and racest creatures that the world people must deal with accordingly.
Look! what they are doing to Mogabe of Zambabwe!! the man is fighting what is supposed to be the African war with EU and USA! they are the one that cause wars in African through their support to groups that serve their interests, they don’t care about Africans or black people in general! we are not going to allow them to arrest and trail our president, let them go to hell, we are able to solve or resolve our differences in our house with the sincere friends, enough is enough, Colonization and slavery are enough we don’t want more otherwise we will fight the insincere and cowed West!!
I know many of you who never been exposed( who never live in the Western countries) to them will react nively by thinking that I am trying to defend an enemy(Al-basheir) but guess what, Al-basheir of Sudan is better than those western insinceres! they are not as good as they pretend to be, they don’t care about you. let all the sudanese rally behind the president because there is no just in his arrest!plus that will result in the alteration of CPA, which will only complicate things even further, i.e it will only make the worse matters even worst!!!
Peace to Sudan!!!!!!!!!!!!! and death to her foes
Mr Famous Big_Logic_Boy
Sudan’s Bashir formally charged by ICC on Darfur war crimes but not genocide
When I heard about the arrest of bashir, I wasted $ 750 yesterday at Konyo konyo feeding dinkas (junglese), because some had shown sympathy about the arrest of their master al bashir. They look hopeless about their own future, because murle are castrating them to their throat, nuer on the other side and soon ERM on the other side. Certainly i had just plan a better decision of wasting this money on simba (beer) and foods to keep them consious about living in South not about enslave by arabs. You junglese for your own benefits don’t ever trade with arabs anymore or barter trade with murle, see the murle are addicated to buy your kids plus girls as well, how about yourselves, who will be your future representative if your selling yourselves to other people. It is time to be and act as a real Southerner, Konyi will never have any power if his connection has been disconnected like this. Therefore if you (junglese) are acting like animals in free range for true your heads will be crash on your noses.
Great man Ocampo has done a desirable vision in Sudan.
Elsadig Elmardi
Sudan’s Bashir formally charged by ICC on Darfur war crimes but not genocide
I do not dispute the horrendous crimes committed by the Sudanese government, nor do I doubt the continuing crisis and the violations perpetrated by this regime, after all I’m someone who have had first hand experience with the suffer/pain of the victims. Yet I don’t think this is the right pathway and I have major concerns that this decision may send Sudan into a vortex of turmoil and bloodshed. However, I think the perpetrators should not escape punishment and those who committed atrocities must be brought to justice. The question is how, the ICC decision is not the answer, and it will indeed create negative effects in the situation inside Sudan and in the region. The right pathway is accelerating Darfur peace negotiation by doing more efforts to unify the Darfurian movements, establish a ceasefire and reached a final agreement along with the full implementation of the south peace agreement. Then the international community should examine carefully all war crimes as well as the crimes against humanity and work with the post-conflict administration to persecute those who are responsible of committing these crimes regardless of their positions.
Ben-Fu
Sudan’s Bashir formally charged by ICC on Darfur war crimes but not genocide
What goes around comes around, time for him to face the law that he took in to onw hands. joyous is the day his hands are cuffed and lock him up in a cage like a silly little bird. he will miss all the wealths he has stolen with bloody heart, and intentionally starved millions to death.
butcher evil bastard
Mohamed
Sudan’s Bashir formally charged by ICC on Darfur war crimes but not genocide
What a humiliating legacy for Sudan’s Bashir
Omare al Bashir should be held accountable for his actions.
Gatwech
Sudan’s Bashir formally charged by ICC on Darfur war crimes but not genocide
The D-Day has come for Al-Bashir. The decision has already been made. There is nothing the Sudanese can do than to cooperate with the court. There is no room for deferral of the case by the UN Security Council since US, France and UK are ready to vote such a move. Arab and African countries who sympathize with Bashir will just express their disappointment helplessly.
Well, well, well, Bashir from this day of issuance of arrest warrant is a wanted criminal by legal terms. It is like sending ordering a police to arrest a criminal. A criminal may dodge the police for sometime until he or she is apprehended. This is the situation Bashir finds himself in for the rest of his life if he is not quickly arrested or does not want to voluntarily handover himself to the ICC.
But his chances to be arrested are very high given the number of countries that are signatories to the Roman Statute. I was listening to the BBC this morning and the prosecutor, Ocampo was asked over his interview how the Court would arrest Bashir when many African and Arab countries are reluctant to arrest him. He plainly said that as long as Bashir travels outside of Sudan, his plane could be intercepted in international air space and diverted before it could land to where he wants to travel to. This is very serious!
Other implications will include cutting off Bashir from political or diplomatic dealings by many countries. For example, European Union countries automatically do not deal politically and diplomatically with a criminal suspect. Bashir is from now a wanted criminal and no body will want to deal with a police wanted criminal. Bashir will be like a fugitive and always on the run from those who want to arrest him. What a situation!
But the decision will not go without heavy price to be paid by the people of Sudan. The GoNU (Government of National Unity) of which Salva Kiir is the First Vice President has already decided to expell about ten major humanitarian agencies out of the country within 24 hours. These are the agencies helping significantly in providing medical and food supplies and services to the marginalized people in Sudan including the South and war affected IDPs such as in Darfur. This harsh decision will leave hundreds of thousands if not millions vulnerable to hunger and diseases.
Other implications are yet to surface. JEM rebels may start to launch attacks on the main government towns. Attempts of coup de tat against Bashir may occur in Khartoum. Bashir may sanction the South for supporting cooperation with ICC or international community, and may indefinately delay the release of South Sudan’s share of oil, or may encourage war in the South.
I have learned from a reliable source that Salva Kiir left Juba for Khartoum on Wednesday after the issuance of arrest warrnat of “Brother Al-Bashir” as he put it in the media. Well, we all know that Salva Kiir was appointed by Al-Bashir as Chairman of ICC crisis committee without consulting his party senior members. A thing which people say disappointed his party’s colleagues who did not want their chairman to be used in this kind of tricky matter. He went to Khartoum to meet Al-Bashir on what to do next in reaction to the ICC. May be the expelsion of humanitarian agencies is one solution to their meeting. Shame! But I at least appreciate is travel to Khartoum for the first time this year. I hope he will discuss the handover of Gen. Tang Ginye with Bashir and not concentrate on worshipping Bashir and condemning his arrest. He should stay in Khartoum for at least one week to do his work in the office of the First Vice President to defuse the growing tensions in the minds of his masters. But let no body forget that there is nothing one can do at this point to rescue the President. He is already a wanted criminal by law. He can be arrested any time and no matter how long it takes. He can be on the run for the rest of his life with sleepless nights. But he will be a useless President because he will not carry out his duty well if he confined to Sudan.
Hillary B.M.L,M
Sudan’s Bashir formally charged by ICC on Darfur war crimes but not genocide
Bashier is Innocent Military Man trapped by Sudanese Muslim Doctorates and Musters holders,and because he is very stupid enough is now harvesting the seeds of his implanted deeds.
ICC has done exactly what the victims and 95% of Sudanese are waiting for. Good work Mr.Luis Moreno-Ocampo.