Sudan’s fate must be linked to the ruling NCP says ex-PM
January 29, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The former Sudanese Prime Minister Sadiq Al-Mahdi called on the government to behave “rationally” should the International Criminal Court (ICC) issue an arrest warrant for president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.
“We are proponents of the positive interaction with the ICC without having to extradite the head of state. We want to link the fate of Sudan with that of Sudan unlike what some people mentioned to move the national concern from the partisan view in the opposition and government to national one” he added.
Sudan is in a state of high alert for a decision by the ICC judges on ten counts presented by prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo in mid-July against president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir that include three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder.
Ocampo accused Al-Bashir of masterminding a campaign to get rid of the African tribes in Darfur; Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa.
Sudanese political parties have rallied behind Bashir with the exception of the Popular Congress Party (PCP) leader Hassan Al-Turabi who called on the president to turn himself in to The Hague based court.
Al-Turabi has been arrested without charges by security officials shortly after making these remarks.
Al-Mahdi, who is also the Umma party leader, said that 2009 is a crucial year for Sudan where number of issues will be determined including North-South unity and whether Darfur conflict will be resolved “before it becomes cancerous”.
“This year the democracy issues will evolve into a struggle between enforcement and transformation” the former prime minister said.
He warned that the ICC indictment of Bashir will be detrimental to the political future of Sudan but said a compromise must be reached to avoid a worst case scenario.
“Either we are able to deal rationally with the ICC as part of our international obligations as members of the United Nations (UN) while agreeing that the international order is unfair or take a position putting us on the same level with the others Iraq & Libya” Al-Mahdi said.
“The UN Security Council (UNSC) and ICC are covering the crimes of major powers. We are facing a major roadblock. Either we make it or we don’t” he added.
He called for a hybrid court to deal with the crimes committed in the conflict Western region of Darfur.
The UNSC issued resolution 1593 under chapter VII in March 2005 referring the situation in Darfur to the ICC at the recommendation of the a UN Commission of Inquiry.
The opposition leader has previously been one of the supporters of the ICC. However following the indictment of Al-Bashir he appeared to have shifted his position.
Al-Mahdi was ousted as prime minister in a bloodless military coup in 1989 by President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and has been one of the most outspoken critics of the government ever since. However lately he has taken a more favorable position towards the government saying the latter became more accepting of other political parties.
(ST)