Sudanese president set to visit Chad next week: source
July 16, 2010 (WASHINGTON) — The Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir will take part in the 12th Ordinary session of the conference of leaders and heads of state of Sahel-Saharan States which will convene in the Chadian capital next week, a diplomatic source told Sudan Tribune.
If the visit goes as planned, this will be the first time Bashir sets foot in a country that is a signatory to the Rome Statute which is the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
This week, the ICC judges added three genocide counts to the warrant issued against Bashir last year that already includes seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity he allegedly masterminded in Darfur.
Since the warrant, Bashir has restricted his foreign travel to countries that are not ICC members though in one instance he made a last-minute cancellation on his appearance at a summit in Turkey after the latter faced intense pressure from the European Union (EU).
Today, the Sudanese foreign minister Ali Karti told the London based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that his boss can travel anywhere and that the ICC cannot hamper his travel.
Chad was one of the few countries to oppose a resolution adopted by the African Union (AU) under Libyan pressure last year instructing its members not to cooperate in apprehending Bashir even if they are ICC members.
However, following normalization of ties with Sudan this year, the Chadian president Idriss Deby said he invited his Sudanese counterpart to visit and would guarantee his safety despite the outstanding arrest warrant.
Deby met this week with the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Luis Moreno-Ocampo in Paris though it is not clear if the planned visit by Bashir to Ndjamena was discussed.
Sudanese officials however, may be wary of sending their president to Chad for fear that French forces stationed at a military base in Ndjamena would attempt to apprehend him. France has been one of the main backers of the Hague tribunal.
An invitation by Uganda to the AU summit starting on Monday is also lined up for Bashir although there has been no confirmation on his attendance by Khartoum.
A row erupted between Sudan and Uganda last month in the wake of statements attributed to president Yoweri Musevini saying that he asked Khartoum to send an official other than Bashir to the summit.
Kampala later backtracked on the remarks and re-invited the Sudanese president.
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John M. Atem
Sudanese president set to visit Chad next week: source
Please arrest this villanious ruffian should he attempts to set his foot in your capital.
Mr Famous Big_Logic_Boy
Sudanese president set to visit Chad next week: source
This is joke, I will never agree that this crminal will ever step to Chadian territory? Ocampo was in Chad few days ago to meet Idriss and today Crminal attempting to enter ICC gate. I don’t think this will happen. Taha is there, soon it will be paspone that Bashir can’t make the expedition due to his HIV and Taha was advise to go. I know the trick of this ugly arab crminal.
DASODIKO
Sudanese president set to visit Chad next week: source
Two important invitations and non of them would be attended by %99 freely elected President Bashir Al- Jalee!!!! Althrough the President himself belongs to Jaaleen the most brave tribe in entire Arab world! I am sure this will be a shame spot on the entire tribe.
telfajbago
Sudanese president set to visit Chad next week: source
I think Ali Karti is not serious and he is only raising dust about the his regime’s ability to challenge the ICC decision because am sure Bashir will drop his plan in the last minute reasoning that there is important issues at home. I think the Chadian President Debbei will be counted as a big fool if he missed the chance to arrest al-Bashir the cause of his main headage.