ICC to announce a new list of Darfur war crimes suspects
May 30, 2008 (THE HAGUE) — Urging decisive action against Sudanese war crimes suspects, the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor said Friday he would announce details of a new case next week against senior players in the Darfur conflict.
“I will inform the … (United Nations) Security Council on June 5 when I will present my second case on Darfur,” prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo told reporters in The Hague, the tribunal’s permanent seat.
He is due to brief the Security Council in New York on the situation in Sudan’s eastern Darfur region next Thursday, the same week that a council delegation is due to visit Khartoum.
The new case would start “in the near future”, said Moreno-Ocampo, declining to reveal how many people would be targeted, or whom.
He did say they would be “at a higher level” than Sudanese secretary of state for humanitarian affairs Ahmed Haroun, who has yet to be detained despite the ICC issuing a warrant for his arrest a year ago.
“Haroun is still in the middle of this operation … It is obvious that he is not arrested, he is a minister, so he is not alone,” Moreno-Ocampo said, adding he was collecting evidence “to prove criminal responsibility at a higher level than Haroun.”
UN humanitarian chief John Holmes told the Security Council last month that the death toll in Darfur had risen to 300,000, with more than two million people having fled their homes since the government enlisted militia allies to put down a revolt in the region in 2003.
Moreno-Ocampo said Haroun was continuing to commit crimes against civilians in his ministerial position, and was undermining humanitarian and peacekeeping efforts in Sudan.
“Keeping Haroun in his position as minister of state for humanitarian affairs is affecting the humanitarian assistance to people in the country.”
He decided who got assistance and who not, and was also on a committee set up to facilitate the deployment of the UN/African Union hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID).
“So, Haroun who is committing crimes today in Darfur, is also involved in obstructing the deployment of UNAMID,” Moreno-Ocampo said. “Arresting Haroun is a duty of the Sudanese government.”
The Security Council, said the prosecutor, must ensure that Sudan complied with its resolutions on Darfur.
“The Security Council decided that justice in Darfur is a key element for peace. It is now time to put this message into reality,” he said.
“It is very important that the Security Council must highlight the need to stop the crimes. Next week is an opportunity. The message has to be clear.”
(AFP)
Ajang Aguer Pageer
ICC to announce a new list of Darfur war crimes suspects
The ICC effort in handling this Darfur war crimes case sounds interesting but half-futile.If they have failed to arrest Ali Kushayb and Ahmed Haroun,will they manage to arrest the their “boss” who sends them to carry out his will?Let’s see then but anyone in the Sudanese government should be prepared for the pending list if ICC is just!!!Cheers.
Shuggar
ICC to announce a new list of Darfur war crimes suspects
I think revealing the criminals one by one will yield good results in the long run. It will also affect them politically inside Sudan and the world at large. They are the losers anyway. Prosecution of these perpetrators will take time and will be brought to justice for sure.
tokwaro okeny okello
ICC to announce a new list of Darfur war crimes suspects
WHERE IS THE JUSTICE ICC?
you come in when American interest is in Danger in sudan, please bring those culptrits to Justice, but do not only put those statements as threats to terrify NCP and after they submitted in, you just forget about the innocent people of darfur whose number of death incrase day after day with the slow long awaiting jugement from you.
let your action speak louder than your words.
WHEN JUSTICE IS DONE, THE RIGTHOUSE REJOICE