South Africa Mbeki raises voice to suspend Sudan Bashir’s indictment
July 26, 2008 (JOHANNESBURG) — South Africa President Thabo Mbeki joined calls for suspension of the Sudanese president’s indictment saying it would destroy efforts for peace in Darfur and hinder the implementation of another peace agreement in the south.
Sudanese president Omer al-Bashir must not be indicted for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes Mbeki said adding “It is important that both of those processes should proceed and both of them require the very active participation of President Bashir.”
Mbeki was speaking to the South African Pubic television (SABC) in an interview conducted with him last Friday in Bordeaux France where he attended a European Union-South Africa summit with the President Nicolas Sarkozy, current EU head.
The two presidents in a joint statement called for a speedy deployment of Darfur peacekeeping force, and expressed their support for the progress made in the CPA implementation. They also hailed the adoption of the electoral law and Abyei roadmap.
“I don’t know how they would do that if an International Criminal Court says here’s a person who has been indicted, because they then must stop interacting with him because this is a wanted criminal, and I don’t know how you then implement all of those things.” He said.
Mbeki and Sarkozy in their joint statement also emphasised the importance of putting an end to impunity in Darfur.
Speaking to the press with Mbeki, Nicolas Sarkozy said “South Africa and the European Union are calling for the Sudanese President Bashir to make the necessary gestures and efforts for the international community to understand that he got the message addressed to him by the international criminal court.”
However Mbeki told SABC he would meet the Sudanese president to discuss the ICC indictment with him without giving an indication about the date of their meeting. South Africa is a non permanent member in the U.N. Security Council.
The ICC’s prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo asked pre-trial judges last Monday 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.
ICC Judges are expected to take months to study the evidence before deciding whether to order Al-Bashir’s arrest.
(ST)