World braces for ICC indictment of Sudan president; UN steps up security
July 11, 2008 (WASHINGTON) – The US administration warned the Sudanese government against any measure in retaliation for a possible indictment by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of Sudanese president Omar Hassan Al-Bashir next week.
“The Sudanese Government has obligations under Security Council resolutions as well as the Vienna Convention. The international system expects them to abide by those obligations” the US State department spokesperson Sean McCormack told reporters today.
The Washington Post quoted unidentified UN officials and diplomats as saying that the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo would ask the judges for an arrest warrant against Al-Bashir next week for genocide and crimes against humanity.
The Associated Press quoting similar sources said that similar charges will be brought against Sudan’s 2nd Vice President Ali Osman Taha.
On Thursday the ICC announced that Ocampo will hold a press conference on Monday revealing his new case “on crimes committed in the whole of Darfur over the last five years”.
Western diplomats and world officials appeared nervous that Khartoum may respond to new indictments against top Sudanese leadership by expelling aid organizations and peacekeeping forces from Darfur.
Sudan’s U.N. ambassador Abdel-Mahmood Mohamed told reporters yesterday that “all options are on the table” if Sudan president is indeed indicted.
“The limit is the sky” he responded to a question at the UN headquarters today about measures Khartoum could take.
Mohamed met with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon this afternoon urging him to step in and prevent the ICC prosecution.
“We hold you responsible if our President is indicted” the Sudanese envoy told the UN chief, the Inner City Press website reported.
The UN Secretary General yesterday had refused to comment on the speculations of Al-Bashir’s indictments saying that “as a Secretary General I am not in a position to mention anything officially before the announcement by the ICC”.
“In principal I believe that peace and justice should go hand in hand. Justice can be part of a peace process but peace without justice cannot be sustainable” he added.
However Ban Ki-Moon said he will assess the situation after the suspects are named next week.
The UN mission in Sudan elevated its threats level in anticipation of the ICC announcement and the Inner City Press website reported that a visit by a key logistics official in the Darfur mission to New York fearing that Sudan “may order the UN out of Darfur”.
The U.S. State Department withdrew all staff from the war-torn western region of Darfur, including those working for its humanitarian arm USAID, aid workers said.
A message to British nationals issued by their embassy in Khartoum said the U.N. security level had been raised and family members had been asked to leave. It advised British nationals to keep a low profile.
In the Sudanese capital the Sudanese foreign ministry summoned ambassadors from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) as well as African and Arab diplomats.
Sudan news agency (SUNA) quoted the deputy foreign minister Mutrif Sideeq as telling the diplomats that indictments “will have negative effect not only on the peace and stability in Sudan but also on the entire region”.
However Sideeq reaffirmed his government’s commitment to resolution 1769 on deployment of peacekeepers to Darfur and protection of foreign missions and aid organizations operating the country.
The Sudanese official reiterated his government’s position against the ICC having no jurisdiction over the situation in Darfur.
The judges of the ICC issued their first arrest warrants for suspects accused of war crimes in Sudan’s Darfur region in May 2007.
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. But Khartoum has refused to hand the two men over.
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.
(ST)
Some information for this report provided by Reuters.
dotcom
World braces for ICC indictment of Sudan president; UN steps up security
Osman Taha is mentioned again! destruction is in action. lets wait for what is going to come next, history in the making.
sudanson
World braces for ICC indictment of Sudan president; UN steps up security
This is a welcomed move by the ICC. Right now the only out of this is for Omar el beshir to implement the CPA fully and bring peace to Darfur as soon as possible, This way he can reconcile himself with the Sudanese people. Also the ICC should now start to bring all leaders that committed crims not just in Africa or Asia but also in Europe and America. that way it will make justice for all at a world standard and not justice in the weak and poor but justice in the rich countries too. even crimes committed inthe past during invasionc , colonialism and slavery, otherwise ICC will be considered as being biased and only selecting countries and pciking leaders. Also ICC organisation has to be inclusive, it has to have top members from all the five continents.
mathbai
World braces for ICC indictment of Sudan president; UN steps up security
go to hell bashir and those who suport your dead tactic like you are trying to interfer into southern affair like removing Amum from his post, how do you deadly think the icc will not interfer into Sudan/Darfur Affair
John Mou
World braces for ICC indictment of Sudan president; UN steps up security
Mr. Ocampo,
You have done a patriotic job in Sudan for the first time in the history.
For your information though you know everything about crimes committed by the NIF regime, I would like tell you that do not listen to those who want to distract you away from doing the right thing to the affected people in Sudan and the international community that the terrorists led by Al-Bashir aim at.
First, Al-Bashir came to power by force which is not allowed in the democratic world.
Second, he had allowed Osama Bin Laden to come to Sudan to train Muslim youth on suicide operations.
Third, Al-Bashir had recruited Mujahedeen and declared the holy war against southern Sudanese people. During that war ended with the signing of the CPA in the year 2005, people were killed like insects, women were raped in front of their husbands and many children were separated from their parents and taken away as slaves.
Fourth, Arab ethnic group in Darfur were armed to carry out mass killings, rapes and destruction of infrastructure in the Darfur region because of being black although they are Muslims.
Fifth, Al-Bashir had killed Ibrahim Shamis Al-Din and married his wife Widad Babikr as his first lady in Sudan. Just to mention a few.
Mr. Ocampo, please continue with your duty and led Omar Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir follow Taylor to Hague.