Arab states mulling an offer of safe haven to Sudan’s Bashir: report
February 10, 2009 (NEW YORK) — Several Arab countries are contemplating an offer of refuge for the Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir following a likely decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) judges to issue an arrest warrant for him.
The daily Al-Hayat newspaper quoting Arab diplomatic sources at the United Nations said that there are discussions on “Arab responsibility” towards Sudan in lights of developments with regards to the ICC.
An Arab League delegation led by its deputy Secretary General is currently visiting the New York to lobby UN Security Council (UNSC) members for a resolution under Article 16 deferring ICC charges against Bashir for a minimum period of 12 months that can be renewed indefinitely.
The ICC expected to release a decision within days agreeing to issue an arrest warrant for Bashir at the request of its prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo who accused Al-Bashir of masterminding a campaign to get rid of the African tribes in Darfur; Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa.
The diplomats said that an unspecified number of Arab countries are working on creating an acceptable offer to Bashir that would convince him to be hosted by them in return for protection from judicial prosecution.
However they stressed that such an offer would be extended only “if the need arises”.
Some sources in the Sudanese capital have said that the Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah offered to host Bashir during their meeting last November to avoid the complications of an ICC arrest warrant.
However Sudanese officials including the powerful presidential assistant Nafi Ali Nafi have denied any intention of accepting such a plan.
Bashir is the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) candidate for the upcoming presidential elections that are due to be held this year.
Khartoum and a number of regional organizations including the African Union (AU) are racing against time to secure a suspension of the ICC move before an arrest warrant.
However, it now appears unlikely that the UNSC would back a deferral given threats by the US & France to use their veto power to block such a move.
(ST)