Arabs reject “unbalanced” ICC request against Sudanese President
July 19, 2008 (CAIRO) — Arab foreign minister rejected today the “unbalanced request” of arrest warrant by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the Sudanese president over genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur.
The Arab League’s 22 foreign ministers decided in a resolution adopted on Saturday to show “solidarity with the Republic of Sudan in the face of any schemes aimed at undermining its sovereignty, unity and stability and not to accept the unbalanced position of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court at the request contained in a case submitted to the ICC (pre-trial Chamber).”
The Arab minister further said they adopt this position to emphasis on their rejection to any “attempts meaning to politicize the principles of international justice or to use it to erode State sovereignty, unity, security, stability and national symbols.”
In his second case about Darfur crimes, the Prosecutor has concluded there are reasonable grounds to believe that president Omar al-Bashir bears criminal responsibility in relation to 10 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Accordingly, the Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo asked the pre-trial Chamber judges on Monday 14 July to issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir.
The jurisdiction of the Court comes from a referral by the UN Security Council. The resolution 1593 of March 2005 stated that justice and accountability are critical to achieve lasting peace and security in Darfur.
The Arab ministers asked the UN Security Council to shoulder its responsibilities of maintaining peace and security, and to be very careful in dealing with the situation in Sudan during the coming stage. Further they said that the Security Council should not allow any party, action or conduct to undermine the efforts of a political settlement to Darfur crisis.
Nevertheless, the AL meeting didn’t explicitly ask the Security Council to suspend ICC investigations or prosecutions for a year.
Mahmoud Ali Youssef, the foreign minister of Djibouti, and the current president of the AL, explained the adopted decision by saying the ICC judges didn’t yet issue an arrest warrant against president al-Bashir and it is just a request filed by the prosecutor.
“We are not at the stage of the Security Council because there is no arrest warrant against president al-Bashir. For the moment we need to demonstrate a real political solidarity with the Sudan.” Youssef told the Sudanese TV at the end of the meeting.
However the Arab ministers charged the Secretary General Amr Musa and a ministerial committee formed to follow up the issue to put a plan of action in coordination with the Sudanese government.
The members of the committee are Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Sudan..
They further requested Musa to continue contacts with UN Secretary-General and Chairman of the AU Commission to secure a joint move aimed at dealing with the situation between Sudan and the ICC.
TWO OPTIONS FOR KHARTOUM
In Khartoum the Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir today received demonstrators who were protesting against the ICC’s chief prosecutor’s request for an arrest warrant against him.
The demonstration was organized by youth organization in Khartoum. The protesters scanted slogans like “With our spirit and blood, our president, we came to stand with you our president,” or “We came to share with you our president, we are your army our president.”
The Arab League chief, Amr Musa will fly tomorrow to Khartoum for talks with the Sudanese president al-Bashir, and after he will take part in a meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council in Addis Ababa.
Musa should propose to a plan of action to be conducted by the Arab League in coordination with the African Union.
In order to adopt this exit strategy, Musa is expected to propose two options to the Sudanese president.
The first one call for a trial of the two suspected wanted by the ICC: Sudan’s humanitarian affairs minister, Ahmed Harun, who was formerly in charge of security in Darfur, and suspected militia leader Ali Kushayb.
The other option will be to try the two suspects in an African country with the participation of by ICC representatives. However this controversial proposal had been debated last year and rejected by the Sudan.
Musa told the media today that details of the plan would be disclosed after his talks with al-Bashir on Sunday and consultations with the African Union.
The Arab ministers said in their resolution that the Sudanese judiciary is capable of prosecuting Darfur war crime suspects. They further called for the completion of trials under the supervision of the Arab League and the African Union.
However the prosecutor underlined in his request of the arrest warrant, said that in accordance with the principle of “complementarity”, the Prosecution has assessed the existence of national proceedings in the Sudan in relation to those crimes.
“There are none. The only officers al- Bashir really wanted investigated were those who refused to comply with his orders to commit genocide.” Ocampo said.
(ST)
William Dimo Deng - Melbourne - Australia
Arabs reject “unbalanced” ICC request against Sudanese President
I wrote many comment, that the League of Arab meeting will not recognize Darfurian people, and the genocide and crime agains the humanity committed by the minorty those who call them self Arab of sudan.
The meeting recognize Sudanene Arab, not black sudanese Darfurian people.
If Arab of Sudan, were those who genocide,the League were to standby ICC and condemn genocide, and then supports their people Arab, and accept the warrant and arrest,of the person who committed crime agains Arab.
Cry the beloved country who distroed by the enemies.Cry the beloved people who lost their live in thire land . Cry for the African who keep silence, and their people have been genocide.
Shame to League of Arab who say the ICC is not balanced.
Shame to the people who love humanity, and can not condemn the League of Arab meeting decision. Shame to SPLA/M who can not stand strongly like the USA,EU and be in balance also with the ICC decision and make clear massage to the regime.
Shame to the AU within Kenyian, who was strongly support peace agreement, and stop the regime from the Crime.
Cry for the beloved man who was very very strong, the brave man who love his people his land his hope. the man who struggle for 23 years, who leave his position that can his live depend on, The bless man who keep on our grandfather mission,that says, keep the land my son,and the people my son, and the future for genrations my son. He is his excellenty: Dr John Garang De Ma-Bour.
Why God yuo take away the person who Freed yuor people from the humilition in the time that your people still on the river bank waiting for the board to cross the river?.
why do our African Leaders do not think, and look forward for the fututre of thire people, thire land?
when will Africa Stand up from the slavery and librate themsself? when Arica will come as a land of dream and hope?
Long live to SPLA/M even they have no clear massage to regime.
Long live to Nelson Mandela who is the icon of freedom in history of Africa. Long live to Darfur.
African: please open your eyes or you will be blind for ever.
Michael
Arabs reject “unbalanced” ICC request against Sudanese President
There was no doubt in my mind of what Arabs League’s resolution would be when I heard of AL emergency meeting. AL has never condemn any evil action from one of Arab countries; Never. They always support the violent and aggression action of Arabs. Mind you, AL is not an internation institution as it should have because it’s a Arabs’ cultural league with its obligation of supporting violent as long as it is been done by arabs, period. In all Arab countries where violence is going on, did it (AL) ever condenm killing? No, unless it’s Israel kiliing. Killing by Israel is evil while Arabs’ Kiling is holy.
This has been the cause between the South and North war, and in Darfur.
John Mou
Arabs reject “unbalanced” ICC request against Sudanese President
On this topic, my advice goes to President Al-Bashir
Mr. Omar, you might have heard of what the so called Arab League led by Amru Musa had tried to do this time as it is written above, [“The Arab League’s 22 foreign ministers decided in a resolution adopted on Saturday to show solidarity with the Republic of Sudan in the face of any schemes aimed at undermining its sovereignty, unity and stability and not to accept the unbalanced position of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court at the request contained in a case submitted to the ICC Pre-trial Chamber.”]
Mr. Al-Bashir, have you seen how the Arab League has decided to push you into fire? You should have learned the lesson from the past events when they supported and encouraged you with your Janjaweed Militias to carry out genocide in Darfur Region.
These were the same people who pushed Muamar al-Kaddafi, Mullah Omar and Saddam Hussein leave alone Palestinians. They pushed those leaders into crisis pretending that they were supporting them and now it is your turn. You should know that Arab League is full of hypocrites so wake up, open your eyes and decide to find the way out of this crisis.
Let me show you the way. The safest way out of this crisis is to hand both Ahmed Haroun and Ali Kusheib to ICC for trial. Don’t listen to Ali Osman Tah, Nafi Ali Nafi or the so called Arab League but stick to your word. We know that you have agreed to send them to Hague but Ali Osman had rejected your proposal. You can issue your Presidential Decree and send them to Hague. That is my advice to you.
Gatnath
Arabs reject “unbalanced” ICC request against Sudanese President
we have to be careful about Egyptians as they will be back up Sudan al-Bashir once we try to get rid him! Egypt has been the biggest nightmare to the people of Darfur and southern Sudan
Gatnath
Arabs reject “unbalanced” ICC request against Sudanese President
we have to be careful about Egyptians as they will attempt to back up the Sudan al-Bashir once we try to get rid him! Egypt has been the biggest nightmare to the people of Darfur and southern Sudan for ages! it is the high time for Egypt to back off of affairs and create their arab somewhere else other than our beloved Sudan!
Gatnath
Arabs reject “unbalanced” ICC request against Sudanese President
we have to be careful about Egyptians as they will attempt to back up the Sudan al-Bashir once we try to get rid of him! Egypt has been the biggest nightmare to the people of Darfur and southern Sudan for ages! it is the high time for Egypt to back off of affairs and create their arab somewhere else other than our beloved Sudan!
Gatnath
Arabs reject “unbalanced” ICC request against Sudanese President
we have to be careful about Egyptians as they will attempt to back up the Sudan al-Bashir once we try to get rid of him! Egypt has been the biggest nightmare to the people of Darfur and southern Sudan for ages! it is the high time for Egypt to back off our affairs and create their arab state somewhere else other than our beloved Sudan!
Uncle Louish
Arabs reject “unbalanced” ICC request against Sudanese President
REJECTION OR NOI REJECTION BASHIR MUST REAP FROM WHERE HE SOWED!
I wonder if any Arab ever spoke out the truth. Theirs in business, I mean business translated into politics and that’s why the world is corrupted by terrorists who are of Muslim origin with their god-father Osama Bin Laden, an uncle to Al Bashir whose brothers are the Arab League Employees.
Look where the Merchanists went wrong by using English word ‘Unbalanced’ more over Bashir is to explain each and every secret attrocities appended to his accusatiion; whether by him or by his men is not a question that needs balancing much as he is the head of state and the Commander-In-Chief of the Sudan Armed Forces.
Besides, when the ICC issued an arrest warrant for the two suspects Ahmed Haroun and Ali Kushyab; Bashir refused to release them because they doing the business for which Bashir was and is their Boss and now that it is his turn you are there for him! Do you prove to be hidden terrorists disguised as Arab League, pleae stop that chit and let Bashir be a man about it.
Uncle Louish, the humble Gent.
cbhs
Arabs reject “unbalanced” ICC request against Sudanese President
Dear all
Eveyone familiar with Arab mentality would not be surprised with this hypocritical position of the Arab leaders. If they support Osama Bin Laden, a killer of humanity and innocents lives, it is evident that they will defend a criminal such as Bashir. Imagine what they did to African Sudanese in Cairo. Killing these innocent people, who were peaceully claiming their legal refugee rights at the UNHCR in Egypt-Cairo, but they were killed and none from these Arab leaders condemned that barbaric act. So, it is evident that Omr Musa will never stand firm for justice
Therefore be it clear to you, agents of the devil, that God is just and faithful. Though you think that killing others in the name of Islam is justifiable, have you ever contemplated: isn’t those “Darfuris” you are killing in the name of Islam human beings created by the living God? Is Omer Bashir really the president of the Sudan? Bahsir rebeled against a democratic ellected government; El-Mirghani was and is the president of the Sudan not him. Who are we defending? The sudanese people or the dictator ‘the killer’?
However You, the devils, will crumble sooner.God’s vengeance is at hand. He will compensate and give us our rights not far from now.
Thus even though you want to change justice for injustice, God the just, will fight for justice.