South Africa will request deferral of ICC move against Sudan’s Bashir
August 29, 2008 (PRETORIA) – South Africa government reiterated its opposition for the prosecution of the Sudanese president by the International Criminal Court, saying it will harm peace process in the country.
Essop Pahad, a minister in the South African presidency, on Friday told the reporters in Pretoria that “Prosecution may not be in the interest of parties.”
“We decided to request the United Nations to invoke article 16 of the Statute of the International Criminal Court to defer the indictment of the president,” said Pahad at an international relations, peace and security cluster briefing.
However he did not elaborate on whether South Africa, a member of the UN Security Council (UNSC), will introduce a formal resolution on the issue.
Previous attempts by South African and Libya in the UNSC have failed fue to opposition by Western countries.
Before the indictment of the Sudanese president, South Africa had supported the International Criminal Court prosecutor’s decision to seek summonses for two suspects accused of war crimes in Sudan’s Darfur region, in a first case.
But President Thabo Mbeki, was one of the first African leaders to voice his opposition to the ICC move against the Sudanese president. Besides Darfur, He believes that the international court may hinder the implementation of a peace deal signed in 2005 between Khartoum government and southern Sudan former rebels.
International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo on July 14 requested an arrest warrant be issued for Al-Bashir over charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur region.
The UNSC in a paragraph inserted in a resolution to renew the mandate of the UNAMID, pledged to discuss the “matters related to the international court”
(ST)
Hakuna Matata
South Africa will request deferral of ICC move against Sudan’s Bashir
South Africa to request deferral of the case on Bashir? what is exactly the motive of south Africa in this poor continent?
when zimbabwe was struggling amidst plolitcal turmoil, theirs position was absolutely unclear! look at what happened in kenya few months ago, did they offer any intervention? and tens of migrants were hacked, slayed on thier own streets and they did nothing about it! now they want to turn to sudan??
i would suggest, its better for south africa to leave sudan alone, never should they poke thier nose into this country’s affairs to leave it later like zimbabwe!
what have they done about darfur and the war that had been between south and north for 21 years?