EU condemns Djibouti and Uganda’s failure to arrest Sudan’s Bashir

July 10, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The European Union condemned two east African countries, Djibouti and Uganda, for refusing to arrest Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir, the only sitting head of state wanted by the International criminal court.

President al-Bashir was in Djibouti on 5 July to attend the inauguration of a regional trade zone. Also, he was in Entebbe on Saturday for meeting on peace in South Sudan with Presidents Yoweri Museveni and Salva Kiir and SPLM-IO leader Riek Machar.

“The European Union and its Member States regret that Djibouti and Uganda, both States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), did not comply with their obligations under international law and as State Parties to the ICC and did not surrender President Al-Bashir to the Court,” said the statement.

The statement, which is issued by the EEAS Spokesperson, further called on all Member States of the United Nations to abide by and implement the UN Security Council resolutions related to the referral of Darfur crimes to the war crimes court.

“The European Union remains a strong supporter of the ICC and is committed to enforcing international criminal law and to ending impunity”.

Sudanese foreign ministry didn’t react to the statement but the Sudanese embassy in Cairo distributed a statement by the Arab Parliament Speaker Mishaal bin Fahm Al-Salami denouncing the provocative EU statement against an Arab leader.

(ST)