TIMELINE: ICC investigations in Darfur move to new levels
July 13, 2008 (WASHINGTON) — The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno-Ocampo will present his second case on Darfur war crimes on Monday.
The new list of suspects is believed to include Sudan president Omar Hassan Al-Bashir amid fears that this will spark more violence in the war ravaged region of Darfur.
January 2005 — The International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur recommends the referral of situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The commission identifies 51 individuals as potential suspects but seals their names in an envelope.
March 2005 — The UNSC adopts resolution 1593 referring the situation in Darfur since 1 July 2002 to the ICC. The first resolution of its kind from the UNSC was adopted by a vote of 11 in favor, none against with 4 abstentions (Algeria, Brazil, China and United States).
April 2005 — The ICC prosecutor formally receives a sealed envelope containing the conclusion of the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur along with the names. The envelope is unsealed in the presence of 4 senior ICC officials then resealed.
June 2005 — The ICC prosecutor announces his decision to open an investigation into the situation in Darfur.
December 2005 — The ICC prosecutor selects a number of alleged criminal incidents in Darfur for full investigation.
June 2006 — The ICC prosecutor tells the UNSC that he will carry out his investigations from outside Darfur because of his office’s inability to protect the witnesses.
December 2006 — The ICC prosecutor announces that he has nearly completed an investigation into some of the worst crimes committed in Darfur.
February 2007 — The ICC prosecutor requests the issuance of summons to appear from the Judges against Ahmad Muhammad Haroun, former Minister of State for the Interior of the Government of
Sudan, and Mr. Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman also known as Ali Kushayb, alleged leader of the Militia/Janjaweed. The Sudanese government dismisses the jurisdiction of the court.
April 2007 — The ICC prosecutor sends a letter to the Sudanese government requesting clarification on its position regarding the voluntary extradition of the Darfur suspects to court. Khartoum ignores the letter.
May 2007 — The judges of the ICC request an arrest warrant against Haroun and Kushayb instead of a summons to appear as requested by the prosecutor.
June 2007 — The ICC transmits a formal request to the Sudanese government for the extradition of the two Darfur war crimes suspects. Similar requests were sent simultaneously to the member countries of the UN Security Council, State parties of the ICC in addition to Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
June 2007 — The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) issues red notice for the arrest of Haroun.
September 2007 — The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) issues red notice for the arrest of Kushayb.
October 2007 — Sudan’s foreign minister announces that his government released Kushayb, who was in custody since November 2006, for lack of incriminating evidence.
December 2007 — The ICC prosecutor says that he plans to open two new cases in Sudan over attacks on humanitarian workers and peacekeepers in Darfur.
June 2008 — The ICC prosecutor tells the UNSC that his Office collected evidence showing that “the entire state apparatus has been utilized to commit and cover up massive crimes. The scale of the crimes, over such a period of time, in such a systematic manner, suggests the responsibility of high officials”. He says his new case will be ready in July 2008.
June 2008 — The ICC prosecutor discloses to Sudan Tribune that a plane carrying Haroun to Saudi Arabia was going to be diverted. Sudan says this is an “act of terrorism” and that they will press charges against Ocampo.
June 2008 — A senior official at Sudan ruling National Congress Party (NCP) confirms that militia leader Ali Kushayb has been released for lack of evidence. He voices readiness to cooperate with ICC on national proceedings only.
July 2008 — Washington post quoting UN officials and diplomats say that the ICC prosecutor will seek an arrest warrant against the Sudanese president. Associated Press say that 2nd Vice President Ali Osman Taha will also be named as a suspect.
July 2008 — Sudanese officials warn against any indictments by the ICC will jeopardize peace process in Darfur and vow not to deal with the court. China echoes Sudan’s warnings and informally attempts to introduce a resolution suspending any indictments.
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Mr Famous Big_Logic_Boy
TIMELINE: ICC investigations in Darfur move to new levels
It is absolutely stupid to suspend those charges against Mr Terrorist and sadist beshir, because a very stupid human like Abdel-Mahmood Mohamed thoughts that those bloodshed in Durfur are just for animals not human beings like him. I urge UN and Rome Statue to take any action they can do to satisfied our long suffering as African Sudanese and bring unity for democracy to Sudan, because a single man like beshir has nothing to with in a beautiful country like Sudan, he is just a terrorist, sadist, coward, illiterate and just unwanted man on this earth just because of his bad characters of carrying genocide against African Sudanese (black),countries like China and Russia has no power to invoke Article 16 of the Rome Statue, china is a major encourager of beshir by supplying weapons and now even getting involve In taking action against Durfurians instead of acting as peacekeepers