Darfur demonstrators demand prosecution of Bashir at ICC
November 1, 2008 (THE HAGUE) – More than 100 Darfuri figures residing in Europe staged a demonstration in The Hague last Friday in support of the move by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to indict Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.
The organizers of the march released a statement saying that they submitted “a letter of gratitude to the Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, outlining their strong and genuine support to the endeavor of the Chief Prosecutor in pursuit for justice for the innocent civilians of Darfur”.
“We call the international community to extend their strong support to the Chief Prosecutor to exercise his duties and to translate the ‘’NEVER AGAIN’’ slogan into reality” Mohamed Ibrahim Abdelwahab, Spokesman of Darfur People’s Union in U.K and Northern Ireland said in the statement.
In mid-July the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo announced that he is seeking an arrest warrant for 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 refuses to recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC saying it is not a state party to the Rome Statute which forms the basis of the world court.
Abdelbagi Jibril, Executive Director of the Darfur Relief and Documentation Centre said that “The decision to refer the situation in Darfur to the ICC was done by a means of UN Security Council resolution 1593 (2005) of 31st March 2005”.
“We wish to remind all UN member states, whether they are State Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC or not, to fully support the ICC work on Darfur and meet their obligations to cooperate in implementing mandatory UN Security Council resolutions” he added.
Darfuris inside and outside Sudan have overwhelmingly cheered the decision by the ICC prosecutor to indict Al-Bashir.
In August the “Omdas” (leaders) at a Darfur refugee camp in Chad sent a letter expressing their support to the ICC’s investigations.
Darfuri activist and Liaison Officer with the Save Darfur Coalition Niemat Ahmadi said that “The world must take into account that Darfuri concerns should be the priority among any other concerns”.
“We are the victims and we want justice to be allowed to take its course” she stressed.
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)
*Photo provided courtesy of Tragie Mustafa