Sudan FM says hopeful government reach consensus on ICC
September 4, 2008 (THE HAGUE) – The Sudanese foreign minister Deng Alor expressed worry that Khartoum has yet to reach agreement on the best way to deal with the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ICC judges have yet to make a decision which could take a few more months.
“There is a crisis in the government; there is a very serious debate” Deng Alor told journalists after meeting his Dutch counterpart Maxime Verhagen in The Hague.
“We hope we will reach a consensus before any further move is made by the ICC” the minister said in statements reported by AFP.
Alor, who is also a key figure in the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM), criticized the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) yesterday in an interview with the independent Al-Sahafa newspaper.
“There is no choice before the NCP but to deal with the ICC. Demonstrations and protests will not solve this” Alor said.
Today the Sudanese foreign minister reiterated his position and warned that the clock is ticking before ICC judges make a decision.
“The discussion [within the Sudanese government] is still on…there is not much time left” he said.
Alor warned that an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir may make move Sudan closer to turmoil as peace agreements may unravel.
“It could prolong the war in Darfur. It could put a brake to the implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA),” Alor said. “There are so many things that could happen”.
Khartoum has vowed never to deal with the ICC or hand any of its citizens to the world court. The SPLM however has called on the NCP to reverse its position to defuse the crisis but so far there have been no signs of any compromise by the dominant ruling party.
Yesterday the ICC crisis committee formed in wake of Al-Bashir’s indictment held a meeting presided over by 2nd Vice President Ali Osman Taha.
The Sudanese state minister for information Kamal Obeid told reporters afterwards that the committee called for speeding up the ‘People of Sudan’ initiative launched by Al-Bashir during his tour of Darfur in July.
The meeting also stressed the importance of preventing clashes that would lead to more tensions”.
In August Sudanese soldiers and security officers conducted a raid on Kalma refugee camp in South Darfur that killed at least 30 people and injured many more.
UN experts estimate some 300,000 people have died and 2.5 million driven from their homes. Sudan blames the Western media for exaggerating the conflict and puts the death toll at 10,000.
(ST)
Kiir
Sudan FM says hopeful government reach consensus on ICC
Time is running out becuse Bashir base all his assumption of being protected by china and Russa and didnt doubt a bit about it will change and that reveal stupid mentality of Arab. The Arabs are stupid by nature their ideology is base on ideas not facts sudan will be reduce to pieces whole country was build in sand time has come to crumble because there was no facts to support ideas that country was base on. Once again history is repeating itself when you think nobody is above you Saddam Hussen was just like Bashir like father like son.