EU criticizes Sudan for refusing to extradite war crimes suspects
April 05, 2008 (BRUSSELS) — The European Union (EU) issued a statement this week condemning the Sudanese government for handing over war crimes suspects to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“The EU expresses its profound dismay with the Government of Sudan’s continued failure to comply with its obligations under UNSC Resolution 1593 including its refusal to arrest and surrender these men to the ICC for prosecution, much less allow the ICC to question them” the statement read.
“The EU once again calls on the Government of Sudan to cooperate unconditionally with the International Criminal Court and to surrender the two individuals for whom it issued arrest warrants”.
The judges of the ICC issued their first arrest warrants for suspects accused of war crimes in Sudan’s Darfur region in early May.
The warrants were issued for Ahmed Haroun, state minister for humanitarian affairs, and militia commander Ali Mohamed Ali Abdel-Rahman, also know as Ali Kushayb. Sudan has so far rejected handing over the two suspects.
The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) circulated a notice for the arrest of both suspects in mid-2007.
The UN Security Council (UNSC) which asked the ICC to investigate Darfur crimes under a Chapter VII mandate in resolution 1593 three years ago, appears reluctant to force Sudan’s compliance.
But the EU threatened certain measures if they continue to block attempts to extradite Haroun and Kushayb.
“In the event of continued non-compliance with the terms of UNSC Resolution 1593, the EU will support appropriate further measures against those who bear responsibility for Sudan’s failure to cooperate with the ICC” the EU said.
The prosecutor of the ICC Luis Moreno-Ocampo will brief the UNSC in June on the status of investigations and Sudan’s cooperation. He has already informed the council of Sudan’s non-compliance last December.
Ocampo has expressed his frustration with lack of pressure on Sudan by world community to hand over suspects. He also revealed that he has been approached by a number of countries suggesting that he should try and indict “lower level perpetrators, easier to arrest than Ministers or powerful militia leaders”.
Sudan has not ratified the Rome Statue, but the UN Security Council triggered the provisions under the Statue that enables it to refer situations in non-State parties to the world court if it deems that it is a threat to international peace and security.
International experts estimate 200,000 people have died in the conflict. The Sudanese government says 9,000 people have been killed.
(ST)