Sudan rejects G8 call for cooperation with ICC

June 28, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan rejected threats of additional sanctions by the Group of Eight power if it does not hand over two Sudanese suspected by the International Criminal Court of war crimes in Darfur.

The Group of Eight nations warned on Friday they could take further action against Sudan at the UN Security Council unless it complies with demands to bring Darfur war crimes suspects to justice.

Spokesperson of the Sudanese foreign minister, Ali al-Sadiq said the G8 has to identify the real reasons of Darfur crisis and work to address it, adding such threats would not forces Sudan to change its instance over cooperation with the ICC.

Sudan has refused to comply with UN Security Council demands to hand over two suspects to the International Criminal Court who are accused of 51 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity including murder, torture and rape.

The foreign ministers of the industrial powers, at the end of a two-day meeting in Kyoto, an ancient Japanese capital, called for an immediate ceasefire in Darfur, where the United Nations estimates that up to 300,000 people have died since the conflict broke out in 2003.

“We call on all parties concerned to abide by their obligations under the relevant UN Security Council resolutions; we would otherwise support further appropriate action in the UN Security Council,” a G8 statement said.

“We urge the government of Sudan and all other parties to participate fully with the International Criminal Court in order to put an end to impunity for the crimes committed in Darfur,” said the ministers of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.

(ST)