France affirms support to ICC after warrant issued for Sudan’s Bashir
March 22, 2009 (RIYADH) — The French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said today that his government remains committed to the International Criminal Court (ICC) which issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.
On March 4th the judges of the Pre-Trial Chamber I at the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Bashir on seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, which include murder, rape and torture.
Sudan says it has not ratified the ICC founding treaty and therefore it will recognize any of its decision.
In March 2005 France with other UN Security Council (UNSC) members pushed for a resolution referring the Darfur case to the ICC under Chapter VII of the UN charter.
“The judges in this court have said their word and issued this warrant” Kouchner said.
The French official today held talks with Saudi King Abdullah and senior officials during a one-day visit to Riyadh. Sudan was one of topics on the agenda of the visit.
The visit coincided with the Sudanese 2nd Vice President Ali Osman Taha arrival in Saudi Arabia to deliver a letter from Bashir to his Saudi counterpart.
Relations between France and Sudan have increasingly gone sour following the ICC decision. Bashir has frequently targeted France for his criticism in the last few weeks.
Last week Sudan summoned the French ambassador this week over statements attributed to Eric Chevallier, spokesman of the French foreign ministry in which he suggested that his government will support any operation aimed at arresting the Sudanese president through intercepting the plane.
The French government said Chevallier’s was misquoted by the London based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper which interviewed him.
(ST)