Eritrea says ICC accusations against Sudan president are an “insult”

July 22, 2008 (ASMARA) — The Eritrean government has rejected accusations by the prosecutor of the international Criminal Court (ICC) against Sudanese president, Omer al-Bashir describing it as an “insult”.

On Monday July 14, The ICC’s prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo asked pre-trial judges to issue arrest warrants for 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.

“This phenomenon, which can only be interpreted as an “insult”, is a manifestation of the harassment that has been accumulating.” The Eritrean foreign ministry said in a statement released today.

“As such it must be rejected and challenged.” The statement added.

Speaking to the Eritrean TV, the Sudanese Ambassador to Eritrea, Salah Mohamed al-Hassan, praised the supportive stance of Asmara government to the Sudanese president. He further said that it comes in line with the historical relations between the people of the two countries.

Al-Hassan further said that this move of the ICC prosecutor is designed to undermine peace security and development in Sudan.

(ST)