Arab states maintain silence over ICC indictment of Sudan president
July 14, 2008 (WASHINGTON) – The Arab governments have yet to react to charges of genocide brought by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the Sudanese president Omar Hassan Al-Bashir.
Ocampo filed 10 charges: three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder. Judges are expected to take months to study the evidence before deciding whether to order Al-Bashir’s arrest.
Many Arab newspapers have condemned the ICC accusations labeling them as malicious and part of a conspiracy to destabilize and break up Sudan.
The world court in The Hague was also described in the Arab media as a tool in the hands of the Washington, which is not a state party to the ICC.
But despite the strong anti-ICC sentiment in the Arab media, the major countries in region such as Saudi Arabia or Egypt made no statement following Ocampo’s announcement.
One of the few exceptions was the Qatari Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) who said that the ICC is “interfering in the internal affairs of Sudan”.
The Hamas Islamist movement which controls the Gaza strip also condemned the ICC saying that UN organizations “are toys in the hands of the US”.
At the request of Sudan the Arab League foreign ministers will hold crisis talks on Sudan in Cairo on Saturday.
But many have questioned the ability of a “weakened” Arab League to do anything to help Sudan in its confrontation with the ICC.
Abdel-Rahman Al-Rashid, a leading Saudi columnist said in an article published yesterday that the Arab League “is in reality is a league for Arab presidents and its only natural that it will rally behind the Sudanese president. Its problem that it is an institution without any political or military influence”.
“All they can do is issue a statement of condemnation to console the Sudanese president. We must remember that the Arab League did not care about extermination of 300,000 Darfuris. It even refused to stand a moment of silence to the killings, displacements and burning” he added.
The Darfur crisis is largely unknown to the bulk of the Arabs nations whose attention is focused on other hot spots such as Iraq and the Palestinian territories.
Lawrence Pintak, a journalist and Arab media expert, told Al-Jazeera English TV that the problem with Darfur when it comes to the Arab media is that it does not fit the template of Arabs being the victims and other people the aggressors.
“Arabs here are good guys and bad guys,” he says.
“I think we are in a state of denial,” Jehad Khazen, a former editor of the al-Hayat newspaper, says.
“People say ‘the Arabs or Muslims – cannot do this – it did not happen’ – but they did do this and it did happen – and they have to reconcile themselves to the fact.”
Some observers have said that a precedent of indicting a sitting head of state may create fears among other Arab leaders that they suffer the same fate.
Only three Arab league states Jordan, Djibouti and Comoros are parties to the ICC.
The Jordanian Prince Zaid bin Ra’d of Jordan has served as the President of the Assembly of States Parties, an important oversight body of the court.
Theoretically the three states are legally obliged to execute any arrest warrant that may be issued against Al-Bashir. However it remains to be seen whether that may actually happen.
Ironically Ahmed Haroun, state minister for humanitarian affairs who was also indicted by the court last year was in Jordan receiving medical treatment when the ICC prosecutor announced charges against him.
The Sudanese minister returned immediately to Khartoum that day despite the fact that an arrest warrant has not been issued against him yet at that point.
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.
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Mr Famous Big_Logic_Boy
Arab states maintain silence over ICC indictment of Sudan president
Arabs has nothing to do with Sudan,although sudan has been called in fake name as Islamic Nation but strongly i disgaree for arabs or African to consider the fake name,sudan is sudan and sudan will find her real name soon not arabic name.arabs whether saudi or egypt has nothing to deal with beshir we all know how bad this guy was.Very notorious man which suppose to be hang here in Sudan or any where in Africa,if saudi and egypt has intend disobey American rules,it is more dangerous on their own risky,so i advice them to shut up and mind their own issues if they need beshir let them pay the bloodseh in Durfur and South not with money but with real people in black colour for Africans,those bloodshed in Sudan has no connection with arabs to solve in any condition,in fact they know how to add more fuel killing.
Baggaran
Arab states maintain silence over ICC indictment of Sudan president
Read the article “Indict Bashir, Arab justice would gain” in the Daily Star, Lebanon.
Bring to justice all others who use violence as a routine tool of political expression.
If the evidence of criminal deeds is available, prosecution in a fair trial should always follow.