UN reaffirmed its commitment to justice, security in Darfur – HRW

August 2, 2008 (NEW YORK) – A rights watchdog has hailed Security Council’s renewal of the mandate for peacekeepers in Darfur without delaying legal proceedings against Sudan’s president. This move reaffirms a commitment to justice and security for Sudanese civilians, Human Rights Watch said.

Last Thursday Libya and South Africa tried to insert wording, in a UN resolution project to renew UNAMID mandate for one year, to halt consideration by International Criminal Court (ICC) judges of an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan over genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

However the resolution includes concerns about the possible indictment of Bashir, a matter that caused a deep division in the Security Council. The United States let it pass but abstained from voting in opposition to the text.

“The Security Council refused to allow some members to hold the peacekeepers hostage to Sudan’s latest attempt to derail justice,” said Richard Dicker, director of the International Justice Program at Human Rights Watch.

In March 2005, the United States abstained in a Security Council vote referring the situation in Darfur to the ICC, because of its concern about the court. However Sudan has continued to violate humanitarian laws as well as the UN resolutions, the HRW stressed.

The right group also said Sudanese government rejected to cooperate with the international justice and didn’t hand over two suspects in a first case to the ICC.

HRW considered the U.S. abstention from take part in the vote is “a message about bringing al-Bashir to justice”

“The US decision to abstain is clearly a vote against giving President al-Bashir a get-out-of-jail-free card.”

Concerned that the agreed compromise resolution sent too weak a message about bringing al-Bashir to justice, the US abstained on the vote.

(ST)