African Union chief to discuss ICC prosecution with Sudan president
August 2, 2008 (ADDIS ABABA) — African Union chief is expected in Sudan on Sunday for talks with President Omar al-Beshir, whose arrest over war crimes was demanded last month by the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor.
In a statement issued Saturday at its Addis Ababa headquarters, the continental body said Jean Ping and AU peace and security commissioner Ramtane Lamamra would be in Sudan for two days to meet Beshir and other top officials.
The AU delegation will arrive to Khartoum on Sunday evening and meet Bashir and other officials on Monday. It comes after the pledge by the U.N. Security Council to discuss the possible suspension of the prosecution by the ICC of Darfur crimes.
The talks were aimed at “facilitating the diligent and effective implementation” of the decisions reached by the peace and security commission’s latest meeting on Sudan, it said.
The African Union Peace and Security Council held an emergency ministerial meeting on July 21 and requested the U.N. Security Council to suspend the process initiated by the ICC.
The AU said it had taken into account the need to avoid jeopardizing peace efforts and “the fact that in the current circumstances a prosecution may not be in the interests of victims and justice.”
The African Union’s Peace and Security Council also called for the creation of a panel of distinguished Africans to come up with recommendations on how to address issues of accountability and reconciliation raised by the conflict.
(ST)