Tanzania pushes for deferral of Sudan president indictment
September 8, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — The Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, who holds the rotating chair of the African Union (AU) announced that the regional organization will seek the suspension of a possible arrest warrant against the Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.
“Peace and settling the humanitarian crisis in Darfur is the number one priority now,” Kikwete told reporters in a press conference with Al-Bashir in Khartoum today.
The ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo announced last July his intention to seek an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir on charges of genocide and war crimes.
The ICC judges have yet to make a decision which could take a few more months.
Under Article 16 of the ICC Statute the UNSC only has the power to suspend ICC prosecutions through a chapter VII resolution.
But any such resolution introduced appears to have little chances of surviving a vote in the UNSC particularly with the veto wielding members such as US, UK and France opposing it.
Sudan’s allies in the UNSC like China, Russia, South African and Libya have not tabled a formal resolution after a failed attempt in July.
Michel Kafando UN Representative of Burkina Faso told reporters in New York earlier this month that as council president for September he has received no request from any of its members to take up the issue.
But the Tanzanian president appeared hopeful that a resolution can be tabled soon.
“The AU is pursuing the implementation of that matter within the United Nations system” he said.
The Sudanese president welcomed the statements by his Tanzanian counterpart.
“President Kikwete is on his way to New York soon, and we believe that he is going to meet the dignitaries of the world….We are hopeful that he will support Sudan” Al-Bashir said.
However Kikwete warned that war crime suspects in Darfur must ultimately be held accountable.
“Justice is critical, and we do not in any way want to be perceived as sending the wrong signals of condoning impunity” the Tanzanian leader told reporters.
“Justice must be done, (and) justice, as the lawyers say, must be seen to be done” he added.
Kikwete also praised the government’s commitment to negotiating a peace settlement in Darfur and protecting humanitarian convoys.
Sudan has not ratified the Rome Statute, but the UNSC triggered the provisions under the Statute that enables it to refer situations in non-State parties to the world court if it deems that it is a threat to international peace and security.
(ST)
Petero igaa
Tanzania pushes for deferral of Sudan president indictment
Mr. President – Jakaya Kikwete,
Any body has a right to express his personal feelings, but I wish to say that, since you are the top man of AU, reconsider your press statement; if it just meant for getting away from the press, fine! but you if you mean the business, take this from me:
1) for your information, the myth of peace, security livelihood for Darfur is overdue. The internal community and UN have failed to address the situation.
2) Bashir is free license to do whatever suits him. BAshir’s government knows what they are doing: and they know very well how the UN, Internal Community reacts when its world issues, first they raise questions like, what is our interest in that particular situation? again it gets down to individual countries, that question is repeated.
3) AUs interest is the employment opportunity not saving lives in Darfur. Evidently if AU-UN can not deal with the current situation in Darfur, I mean killings are taking place right at the door of AU-UN, including the lives of the AU-UN personels, then you tell me, Bashir should be excused and allowed to Kill?. Say if overnight ICC drops the charges, is AU-UN going to stop the killings and all the bad acts of the government of Bashir in Darfur and other parts of the Sudan? If that is your dream, forget it. As a Southern Sudanese, we know the half arabs squarting in Sudan. As long the Oil, Agriculture Land and Black people of Sudan still exists in that part of the Country, BAshir’s government which is implementing the Arabs agenda, using Islam as a stepping stone will not let it go.
Forget about the threats of sidelining CPA, peace in Sudan etc, with CPA or withpout CPA in the South, East, West of the Sudan will exist as long the black race lives in Sudan.
I advice you to drop this Subject, the big bodies (members of the UN like China, Russia) who have been faciliting the killings in Darfur have given up, they are finding ways to reconcile. They told Bashir “forget our help to defer your case with ICC”
I rest my case.
KingJared
Tanzania pushes for deferral of Sudan president indictment
It surprises me indeed to read Africa leaders are condemning the ICC on Bashir. I ‘m not interesting in Bashir death but urge the International committee to take control of Sudan at this moment because no is prefect even those who call themselves Sheiks or Pasters are the “wolves wearing the sheepskin” How long did the war stayed in the country, yet there is no one raises his voice to call for peace even Nelson Mandela who seems to be the world peacekeeper, he doesn’t bother him to pay a visit to the dilapidated nation. I wonder if the African people deed help. To criticize African decision on defending Bashir, I believe if bush didn’t pressurize the Sudan government do you think the peace between south and north could have been achieved in the country? African leaders are pretending that they will make peace between Darfur and Khartoum why don’t they make peace between south and north before. How many time Garang and Bashir sat on the table discussing peace and failed. This is what will happen between Khartoum and all parties in Darfur. Apart from ICC no one can manage to solve Darfur crisis for example, when Bashir heard the news of being convicted by Ocampo, he paid a visit to Darfur. Without ICC Bashir should not accept peace because war in Darfur is source of his income for example; he signs fair trade agreement with China to buy oil in Darfur either by exchanging its with guns nor money to builds Khartoum. Do African leaders see Bashir as president? To me not but it is I’m from the south however, on the side of development. We should compare north with many parts of country.To raise question, why the development is based on north. I think he is president of north not Sudan generally. Bashir could have built the region in order to convince the world. China is defending Bashir she is parasite that survives on our blood. China is another confused land. China has her own crisis but she didn’t solved it.China is interested in the oil and that is it.
I hope the ICC should continue in order to bring peace in Darfur.
Malual Jackdit