U.N. top officials in Sudan to attend Bashir’s inauguration ceremony
May 21, 2010 (WASHINGTON) – The United Nations authorized its two top officials in Sudan to attend the inauguration of Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir despite being target of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes he allegedly masterminded in Darfur.
Bashir was declared winner in last month’s first multi-party elections held in 24 years. His victory was widely expected after several heavyweight parties boycotted the elections accusing Bashir’s party of orchestrating widespread fraud and vote rigging.
The U.N. spokeswoman Marie Okabe told reporters that Haile Menkerios, head of the U.N. Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), and Ibrahim Gambari, joint head of the African Union/U.N. Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), will be present at the May 27 ceremony.
Okabe said Menkerios and Gambari “interact with the host government regularly on operational issues to ensure that their missions are able to function effectively and to address areas of mutual concern.”
The step was likely taken in order not to infuriate Khartoum should the world body block their attendance. Sudan has a history of expelling U.N. officials including UNMIS chief Jan Pronk in 2006 and Mukesh Kapila who was the U.N. Development Program Resident Representative for the Sudan.
The United Nations says its leadership is under legal advice to keep contacts with Bashir to a minimum because of the arrest warrant. The U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has for the most part avoided any meetings with Bashir since his indictment.
Another U.N. official, who asked not to be identified by name, told Reuters the two men were attending the inauguration as a “diplomatic courtesy.”
Last year, the then UNAMID head Rodolph Adada was decorated with Sudan’s highest award by president Bashir despite the arrest warrant.
Adada defended receiving the award in an interview with Radio France International (RFI) saying the ICC warrant does not come under his mandate and noting that he also represents the African Union which has “its own point of view on this issue”.
“Frankly, for myself, it [the risk of jeopardizing my image] does not exist” Adada added.
Most African nations have stood by Bashir’s side in face of the arrest warrant issued by the Hague based tribunal.
In letters sent this week to the 111 countries that are parties to the ICC statute and to the United States, which is not a party, New York-based Human Rights Watch said they should not attend events with Bashir “unless absolutely essential.”
“An inauguration is a ceremonial event that cannot be justified as an essential meeting,” the letters said.
Human Rights Watch also quoted what it said was a legal opinion issued by the U.N. Office of Legal Affairs in 2006 as saying: “The presence of U.N. representatives in any ceremonial or similar occasion with (individuals indicted by international courts) should be avoided.”
(ST)