Darfur’s Minnawi calls on Sudan to cooperate with ICC
December 4, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan’s senior presidential assistant Minni Arcua Minnawi urged the government to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) which has moved to indict president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.
“The law is above everyone. Anyone not respecting the law has to be punished” he added.
Minnawi’s statements come a day after the ICC prosecutor warned the UN Security Council that they must be prepared for prospects of an arrest warrant against Al-Bashir.
In mid-July the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo announced that he is seeking an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir.
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 court saying it did not ratify its founding treaty and vowed not to hand over any of citizens to be tried at The Hague based court.
But Minnawi said Khartoum must respect the ICC judicial process saying its legally obligated to do so since it is a UN member.
The former rebel leader has consistently called on Sudan to cooperate with the ICC despite being a member of the government.
Last year sources in the SLM faction told Sudan Tribune that Al-Bashir has privately urged Minnawi to support his rejection of the ICC as a member of the government, but the ex-rebel leader turned down his request.
In May 2006, the SLM signed the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) with the Sudanese government and its head Minnawi was appointed as the senior assistant of the Sudanese president in August.
But Minnawi have expressed frustration with implementation of the DPA saying the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) is deliberately stalling it.
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)