Darfur rebel JEM expresses readiness to cooperate with ICC
The Arab-Egyptian Alliance for the ICC has held a symposium on 19 January, 2008 in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, with a view to enabling the Arab civil society to address international justice concerns as well as the likely role of the ICC.
The considerably large number of participants is indicative of both the will and craving of the Arab public for the dispensation of international justice in the war-torn region of Darfur.
The renowned member of the office of the attorney-general of the ICC and member of the International Inspection Committee, Mrs. Jennifer, delivered a lecture on “the responsibility of the ICC towards the Darfur problem”. Then Mr. Kamal Al-Jazouli read a paper addressing the “dispute between the government of Sudan and the ICC: the way out”.
In this connection JEM would like to emphasize the following:
1. Brining the perpetrators of war crimes, forced displacement and the genocidaires to justice is imperative; this also provides a real test for the international community and for its commitment to protecting oppressed civilians from authoritarian rulers who misuse the so-called ‘sovereignty’ to continue butchering and displacement of innocent civilians.
2. JEM emphasizes its readiness to cooperate with the ICC and is willing to help all those concerned in uncovering the truth and to allow justice to take its course.
3. Insistence of the government of Sudan to keep Mr. Ahmed Haroun in a ministerial position, making him particularly responsible for Human Rights in Darfur despite being named by the ICC for committing war crimes is clear provocation and is derogatory to the victims and to the international community. The same ‘honour’ has been offered to the Janjaweed Leader, Musa Hilal thus promoting him to a leadership position. This is further proof that the Sudan government is unwilling to pursue justice (domestic or externally) and is rather intent on providing shelter for these criminals in the form of ministerial positions while the regime persists in its heinous policy of murdering and displacing Darfur civilians.
4. This unwillingness is manifest in the inability of the national justice system to bring war criminals to justice or even to seriously interrogate them; it is further manifest in the sheer lack of independence of the judiciary as they proved unable to prosecute criminals whose involvements are clearly evident.
5. By refusing to pursue justice domestically and internationally, the government of Sudan is encouraging the victims to take the law in their own hands and retaliate, an act which can be expected of those who have lost hope in all forms of justice.
6. JEM calls upon the Security Council, the ICC and all active members of the international community to take all measures possible to capture these war criminals and hand them over to the ICC as a matter of urgency. This will be instrumental in mending the rifted social fabric and in curbing violence and war in the region.
7. JEM further calls upon the ICC to visit its liberated areas in Darfur so as to meet the victims and listen to the witnesses and view all locations of war crimes. JEM is committed to fully assist in this noble endeavour.
Bishara Suleiman
Secretary for Legal and Justice Affairs
Tripoli – 20 January 2008.