AU to discuss efforts to defer ICC indictment of Sudan’s President
September 5, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — The African Union Peace and Security Council will hold a meeting in New York at the end of this month to discuss efforts to counter the indictment of Sudanese President Omer Hassan Al-Bashir by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
During the meeting, which is scheduled to be held on September 22, the Sudanese foreign minister is expected to expose the position of his government from the accusation filed by the ICC prosecutor against Bashir and its
Last July before the official indictment of the Sudanese president, the AU PSC held a meeting on July 12, in Addis Ababa where it agreed that justice in Darfur should not obstruct the political efforts to settle the five year conflict in the troubled region.
The AU also asked the UN Security Council to invoke article 16 of Rome Statue and suspend any indictment of the Sudanese president but it failed to include it in the resolution 1828 related to the extension of the UNAMID mandate.
To gain an agreement within the UNSC, Sudan’s allies China and Russia must ensure that US, UK and France will not use the veto power to block a resolution on suspension.
Britain and France say opposed to the deferral but promise to do so, if Sudan cooperates with the ICC in the first case of Haroun and Koushaiyb, acts seriously to settle politically Darfur conflict, cooperate with the UNAMID and implement the CPA.
But the US administration sticks with its position on labeling the Darfur crisis genocide, one of the counts brought by the ICC prosecutor against Al-Bashir. Also Washington shows its support to hold accountable those who are responsible for genocide in Darfur.
The UN SC referred the Darfur case to the ICC in March 31, 2005 despite the fact that Sudan not being a party to the court. However the Rome Statute which forms the legal basis for the ICC empowers the UNSC to refer cases to The Hague based court.
On July 14, ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo charged Bashir with masterminding a campaign of genocide in Darfur, western Sudan, and asked the court for the warrant. The Hague-based court has yet to issue a decision.
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.
(ST)