Jordan advises Sudan to cooperate with the ICC: report
October 14, 2008 (CAIRO) – The Jordanian government advised Sudan to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) following a move to indict president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.
The ICC’s prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo filed 10 charges: three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder. In early October ICC judges have officially started reviewing the case in a process that could possibly drag on to next year.
Sudan and a number of regional organizations including the African Union (AU), Arab League, Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) condemned Ocampo’s request and called for a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution deferring Al-Bashir’s indictment under Article 16 of the ICC Statute.
The daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper published in London said that Sudanese officials asked the Jordanian government to try and convince Western members of the UNSC to invoke Article 16.
In September the Jordanian King Abdullah II on Monday received the Sudanese Justice Minister Abdel-Baset Sabdarat who delivered a message from Al-Bashir.
King Abdullah told Sabdarat that Jordan is “keen on preserving the security and stability of Sudan as well as achieving national reconciliation and strengthening peace all over Sudan” PETRA reported.
This week the Sudanese defense minister Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein arrived in the Jordanian capital and met with King Abdullah.
The newspaper report said that Amman advised Sudanese officials that they are only able to offer legal assistance but will not be able to intervene in mediation efforts with Western capitals to freeze Al-Bashir’s indictment.
Jordan is one of three Arab states which are party to the ICC Statute which may explain why King Abdullah avoided making public comment criticizing the Hague based court.
Hypothetically Jordan has an obligation to enforce an ICC arrest warrant for Al-Bashir if he is present on its territory.
However Jordan supported the resolution issued by the Arab League foreign ministers last July criticizing the move by the ICC prosecutor.
Ironically the current Jordanian ambassador to Washington Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein was the first President of the ICC Assembly of States Parties from 2002-2005.
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)