ICC investigations in Darfur win rare praise from China
June 5, 2008 (UNITED NATIONS) – The Chinese government appeared to have shifted towards a more positive tone on the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Darfur.
The ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo delivered his semi-annual report to the UN Security Council (UNSC) yesterday in which he provided information on his current investigations into the ongoing attacks against civilians in the war ravaged region.
“China appreciates the efforts of the Office of the Prosecutor in seeking solutions to impunity in Darfur” the deputy Chinese representative at the UN La Yifan said in remarks to the council.
Yifan said his country “condemns atrocities against human rights and international humanitarian law and support a constructive role of the ICC in resolving properly the problems of impunity in Darfur”.
But the Chinese diplomat warned that resolving the issue of impunity “should not be done in a hurry”.
China is not a signatory of the Rome Statue that forms the basis of the ICC and has abstained from voting on resolution 1593 referring crimes in Darfur to the world court in March 2005.
The Chinese abstention drew criticism from Sudanese officials including presidential assistant Nafi Ali Nafi who questioned “why China has not used the veto power to protect its friends”.
The Sudanese second Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha told Sudan’s cabinet he had Chinese assurances that resolution 1593 would not be passed, a source close to the presidency told Reuters on December 17 2005.
“He was confident it would not get through and told them not to worry,” he said. Their abstention rather than a veto embarrassed Taha within the government, the presidency source said
The Chinese UN envoy called on Khartoum to “enhance its communication with the Court, strengthen cooperation and establish mutual trust towards jointly resolving impunity in Darfur”.
Yifan called on the international community to focus on the political process and peacekeepers deployment in Darfur saying “with other areas also facing challenges, it was impossible for judicial matters to achieve speedy progress”.
Costa Rica, a non-permanent UNSC member, circulated a draft presidential statement calling on Sudan to cooperate with the ICC. It is not clear if the statement will gain unanimous approval required for adoption from council members.
The ICC prosecutor announced that he intends to charge Sudanese officials with war crimes next month.
Sudan has not ratified the Rome Statue, but the UN Security Council (UNSC) invoked 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.
(ST)