ICC arrest warrant for Bashir coming, says Sudan
January 6, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government for the first time appeared resigned to an arrest warrant issued by the judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.
Furthermore the presidential adviser Ghazi Salah Al-Deen told the Al-Sharq daily in Qatar that the judges’ decision is “prefixed” accusing The Hague based court of being a tool in hands of European countries.
Al-Deen acknowledges that efforts to stall the ICC move through adopting a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution have failed despite “wide support from Arab and African countries”.
The remarks by the two Sudanese officials signal a shift in the government’s perception of the ICC row. Some officials and lawyers have in the past expressed confidence that the judges will reject the case.
The hopes were heightened when the ICC judges requested more information on the prosecutor’s application against Al-Bashir last October.
At the time an unidentified Sudanese official speaking to Al-Sharq Al-Awsat said that judges’ request “proves that Ocampo’s evidence is weak and fabricated and that Al-Bashir is innocent”.
The head of the Sudanese lawyers syndicate Fathi Khalil also said that the judges found that the evidence is non-compelling to build a case.
Sudanese newspapers described the judges’ decision as an indication that Al-Bashir will be able to escape an arrest warrant.
Since the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno- Ocampo announced last July that he filed 10 charges against Al-Bashir of genocide and war crimes, Sudan has been hoping that a multi-track judicial and political approach would succeed in heading off the prosecutions.
A new special prosecutor for Darfur crimes was appointed who promised to start trials including one against militia leader Ali Kushayb who is wanted by the ICC.
But so far little information has emerged from the process with some observers suspecting the seriousness of the government and others saying the step is belated.
On the political front Sudan dispatched numerous envoys to world countries and managed to obtain support against the ICC from the African Union (AU), Arab League, Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).
However the support did not translate into a UNSC resolution under Article 16 of the ICC Statute which allows the council to suspend the ICC prosecutions in any case for a period of 12 months that can be renewed indefinitely.
Western members of the UNSC such as US and France made it clear that they would veto such a resolution was introduced at this point in time. They stipulated that Sudan must take “concrete steps” to radically change the situation in Darfur before they will approve a suspension.
But even Sudan’s allies at the UNSC such as China and Russia have shied away from lobbing for such a resolution and many pro-government columnists in Khartoum criticized both countries and called for preparing for a “standalone” battle” with the ICC.
Sudanese officials have lately appeared to be upon acting upon this advice by threatening grave consequences should Al-Bashir be formally charged.
“If this happens it is going to have a very negative impact” Foreign ministry undersecretary Mutrif Sideeq told Reuters and the BBC. “The rebellion in Darfur will escalate. [The rebels] will feel jubilant… They will say they are fighting a legitimate cause against a criminal government and a criminal president”.
Sideeq said the government also suspected “political forces” in Khartoum could create instability if Bashir is indicted, adding that it might also fuel anti-western sentiment. He promised to warn westerners if there was any danger.
“If at any moment we feel we are not ready or able to protect them we will tell them to leave peacefully” he said, accusing western countries of using the court case decision to try to put pressure on Sudan.
On Monday the ICC judges returned from a month long judicial recess as their decision on Al-Bashir warrant is expected before the end of the month.
(ST)
Mr Famous Big_Logic_Boy
ICC arrest warrant for Bashir coming, says Sudan
Not to resigned he was bullshiting that he will fight American let him continue to his dreams. Don’t panice like a lady keep your spirit of resisting Americans. Shame on you Al Abashir if your resign instead of fighting the American in your position, where is the shoe which you were talking about last year. I wish ICC should reject any step your trying to block with your punishment, They must continue to charge you for your own immoral act. Bashir need to learnt more that, if the whole terrorist Arabs islamic comrade of shria law cannot defeat the Americans in Irag and Afghan, who are you to bullshit that you can defeat your masters. Having dirty mouth will always put you in trouble and will get you out of trouble.
tayeb M. Alhassan
ICC arrest warrant for Bashir coming, says Sudan
Get Prepared !!!
Believe me guys it a movement that will create an unimaginable constitutional vacuum which dooms our country’s transition process and merges the whole situation in chaos and mess. It is the time for all citizens and Sudan loving people to shoulder their responsibilities towards country security, integrity, peace, upcoming elections and the CPA. It is not a warning but precautions must be taken immediately. I am sure if to do it Ocambo himself or his adjudicators do not know the real consequences of what they are going to do and when they do it they will get away leaving the country for its fate.
still there is hope but we must prepare for the worst.
Deng Khamis
ICC arrest warrant for Bashir coming, says Sudan
We are waiting for the chaos and tsunami this regime was promising us. For 19 years they destructed the country, wreaked havoc everywhere, slaughtered, tortured, humiliated,and impoverised our people. Don’t you think what they did was greater than the a group of tsunamis ? Albashir and his thugs as Obama and Osama bin Laden earlier described them should go. What surprised me is that they discovered yesterday that the arrest warrant will be issued while the whole world knew this fact some months earlier. what geniuses do we have. As their habit they led a campaign of insults, accusations,denials, underestimating and lies similar to the ones that used internally to defame their opposers. But they were short sighted and did think that the internal campaigns against the opposition were successful because of their grip of power not because it was convincing to any one.They had the choice, so many years ago, between turning Sudan into peace or pieces.
Angelo M
ICC arrest warrant for Bashir coming, says Sudan
Why do we exhaust ourselves asking wrong questions: What will happen if Basire is indicted? The right question is about :Is Bashire innocent or guilty?
If he is innocent, why is he afraid to face the problem? And if he is guilty how can threats of the possible reprecussions help him escape consequences in this life or the next life to come?
In my opinion, all the schemes being used to excuse Al Bashire’s going to court make me more suspicious about his innocence.
tanweer
ICC arrest warrant for Bashir coming, says Sudan
President Basheer is being called as a war criminal because he prevented the West and Israel to fragment his country and to steal his oil rich lands by fighting mercenaries paid for by the anti Islamic factions all over the world.
He was labelled a bad guy.
He was defending his country from an international western conspiracy.
bush, olmert, Levni , Barak, Rumsfield and all the other murders are the “good Guys” because they robbed , stole ,raped ,killed, committed mass genocide against the people of Afghanistan, Palestine , Iraq…
They did it to ‘protect” democracy and the free world?Right?
Is Okambo bringing Bush, Rumsfield, Levni, Mubarek, Mahmood Abass, Barak, Cheney,Olmert to be tried as war criminals in the Hague or are they going to get noble prizes for killing Muslims?
May Allah make all the western nations suffer for their double standards.
I do feel sorry for the germans because they are paying their hard earned money to Israel for the so called,false “halocaust”.
In these hard times when Americans are losing their homes to the Jewish banks, the poor American public is paying taxes to protect murderers in Israel and billions of the much needed dollars are being used in the name of self defence of a rogue state and for polluting the enviroment.
The cluster bombs and nepalm are banned. How is the western darling Israel using it against Palestinian civilians?
Where is green peace, George clooney, kind Angelina Jolie , the Human rights and the UN/
Verdicts are apparently passed against Muslims only.
Is the US and Israel going to pay for the damages to Palestinians, iraqis, Vietnamese, Afghanis…
They might say a “sorry”,which bank exactly cashes a “sorry”?
This is definitely a war against MUSLIMS..whatever you say.
Junubi_Aswod
ICC arrest warrant for Bashir coming, says Sudan
Even if the arrest warrant for Al-Bashir is issued, this president of the Sudan will remain innocent before the ICC laws till proved guilty. He will not be proved guilty until he is judged in his presence. But he will never present himself to the court like Harun and Kushayeb and Kony of LRA. The ICC will only be singing here and there and the politicians like Sarkozy and Bush or even Obama will only be singing without dancing to the tune of ICC demand. The arrest warrant will only be a dead letter that will never catch Al-Bashir. I even doubt whether the ICC women judges will issue any arrest warrant as speculated in the Media; it is just politics without actions!