Sudan says France apologized for Sarkozy remarks

December 29, 2008 (LONDON) – The Sudanese government said today that it received an apology from Paris on statements by President Nicolas Sarkozy earlier this month in which he warned that time is running out for his Sudanese counterpart Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.

“We need the help of the Sudanese government to finally find peace in Darfur” Sarkozy said in an address to mark 60 years since the adoption of the UN rights declaration.

“But President Bashir has very little time to decide, his fate is in his hands” the French president added.

The Sudanese Minister of State at the Sudanese Foreign Ministry Ali Karti told the London based daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat in an interview that Sarkozy’s adviser for African affairs Bruno Joubert apologized over the remarks.

“We do not pay any attention to these threats and we heard an apology from Sarkozy’s adviser Monsieur Joubert saying that what Sarkozy said exceeded what is agreed on in French policy” Karti said.

The Sudanese official further hinted that his government may suspend the implementation of the North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) if an arrest warrant is issued for Al-Bashir.

“The international community must decide whether it wishes to continue to implement the peace agreement for Southern Sudan, in particular thousands of peacekeepers guarding it or he wants to give up his role in Sudan” Karti warned.

“Does the [international community] want to stay and solve the problem or does it want to terminate all aspects of full cooperation with a responsible government. Everyone has the right to decide before the Sudanese government makes its own decision on what it wants” he added.

In mid-July the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno- Ocampo filed 10 charges: three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder and accused Al-Bashir of masterminding a campaign to get rid of the African tribes in Darfur; Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa.

The ICC judges are still reviewing the evidence before making a ruling that could come as early as next month.

Karti said that there will be no cooperation with the ICC “under any circumstances” and said it will amount to “giving up their sovereignty” if they did.

He reiterated the ability of the Sudanese judiciary to deal with Darfur crimes and stressed that there is no evidence implicating two suspects wanted by the ICC including Ahmed Haroun, state minister for humanitarian affairs and militia commander Ali Mohamed Ali Abdel-Rahman, also know as Ali Kushayb.

“All criminal investigations commissions did not press any charges against Haroun…Even Kushayb there were lots of allegations against him but none were confirmed. They mention his name [Kushayb] without asserting it was his him. They [victims] say that all attackers masked… then how did they identify him?” Karti said.

The Sudanese diplomat’s statements on Kushayb contradict those made by Khartoum that it will move forward to prosecute him.

Last October The Sudanese justice minister Abdel-Basit Sabdarat told the Associated Press that Kushayb “is in government custody”.

“Kushayb will be tried in Sudan’s domestic courts. He is under investigation. He will be held accountable” Sabdarat said.

Sabdarat did not say on what charges will Kushayb be prosecuted despite earlier assertions that he has been cleared from any wrongdoings.

Sudan has not ratified the Rome Statute, but the UN Security Council (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)