Egypt vows to press for suspension of ICC move against Sudan president
February 14, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — Egypt’s top diplomat today pledged that his government will continue to work on pressing the UN Security Council (UNSC) to block the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecution of the Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.
“Egypt will not allow this situation to lead to a threat of Sudan, its territorial integrity and safety” he added.
Aboul-Gheit along with Egypt’s intelligence director Omer Suleiman arrived in Sudan on a short visit to convey a message from President Hosni Mubarak to his Sudanese counterpart.
The two Egyptian officials held a closed meeting with the Sudanese president after which they were joined by Sudan’s spy chief Salah Gosh and other officials from both sides.
The London based Al-Hayat newspaper quoted unidentified Sudanese officials as saying that Mubarak’s letter explained efforts to bring up the ICC deferral issue during his European tour that included France, Turkey and Italy.
However Mubarak urged Bashir to take “practical, serious and quick” steps with regards to Darfur peace and war crimes trials to convince the international community on Khartoum’ seriousness.
The ICC judges are expected to release a decision before the end of the month in which they agree to issue an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir on an unspecified number of counts.
Last July the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo requested that the judges issue an arrest warrant for Bashir on 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.
The Egyptian foreign minister acknowledged that a joint Arab League-African Union (AU) delegation that lobbied the UNSC this week on Article 16 have failed to achieve a breakthrough.
“It is clear that this mission has not accomplished what is required of it and we stressed to president Bashir that Egypt will use everything in its power and contacts with UNSC to raise this issue and achieve positive results” Aboul-Gheit said.
Aboul-Gheit and Suleiman flew to Libya from Sudan and met with president Mu’ammar Ghaddafi to discuss a range of issues including the Darfur crisis. Egyptian state media reported that both sides agreed on the need to defer the ICC indictment.
The Sudanese presidential spokesperson Mahjoub Badri spoke out strongly against any ICC arrest warrant, asking how the world could continue to have normal diplomatic relations with Khartoum after any such step.
“We put this question to every country that recognizes the jurisdiction of the ICC…if an arrest warrant is issued, are your ambassadors going to consider Omar Al-Bashir as a president or a defendant?” Bakri asked.
The African Union, Arab League, Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) called for invoking Article 16 which allows the UNSC to suspend the ICC prosecutions in any case for a period of 12 months that can be renewed indefinitely.
However the supporters of Article 16 do not have the required nine votes to push through this resolution.
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Gatwech
Egypt vows to press for suspension of ICC move against Sudan president
ICC decision imminent,
The decision by the ICC to issue arrest warrant for Al-Bashir is imminent. There is nothing Egyptians can do to reverse this. But the impact will definitely be felt throughout Sudan.
ICC impact begins,
Though Al-Bashir is criminal, the ICC arrest warrant for him would have impact on CPA, actually it has already. According to reliable information coming from Juba, Al-Bashir has refused to release the 2009 budget to the Government of South Sudan. Though the reason is not yet clear, some speculate that it is because of the imminent ICC arrest warrant. GOSS Vice President Dr. Riek Machar is said to have left Juba for Khartoum on Sunday (15th February) to try to tackle the budget issue with the Presidency in Khartoum. Salva Kiir refuses to go to Khartoum according to sources in Juba. People in South Sudan are in the middle of February without salaries since Christmas. We wait for the outcome of the meeting between Machar and Bashir/Taha in Khartoum if they are going to release the money. GOSS should start borrowing money from outside because the ICC impact is imminent.
Aduol Liet
Egypt vows to press for suspension of ICC move against Sudan president
I think Egypt’s supporting suspension of the ICC mean some things that,we the people in the Sudan need to understand Egypt leaders role and why they want the situations to continues otherwise they should be frankly to tell Omar Hassan Al Bashir to step down, because Sudan country is not name for one person while there are many people have different Ideas on how to solve the problems as a nation. Egypt Leaders must understand the suffering of people in the Sudan not about the leadership issue or politics concerning within Sudan.People a cross Sudan country are suffering enough for years and years like that but if Mr, Omar Al Bashir does not acknowledge that then I do. I thought some time If prsident Bashir was my brother in the Sudan then, I wish I will tell him immediately that please leave they Sudanese people alone and come back home why because you can judge yourself the situations that have got no end for many years. Every one in the Sudan has right to say about his view from what we always see bad in leader unfortunately, they Sudanese in Khartoum are so quitely not to tell him that, this situation is unsolveable at your present now. The real question now is why Egyptian leaders supporting one person his leadership while many people are still suffering? Was it the Sudan belong to one person particular? Well, those people who are suffering in the Sudan are more than leadership and they are more than Kartoum and Egyptan Foreign Minister loyaity matter. I think there was a history in 60 years ago about Egypt government want to own Sudan within Africa, so how it sound to Sudanese people, Ahmed Abul comment make disappointed to many people in the Sudan.The rule of International judges are blocking by such comment among Sudanese people we all belong to Sudan and we all have a sharpe minds to thinks what future we are now facing and how we united ourseves as a one nation. According to our observation since the beginning of Sudan problem, Egypt seem to be between some time they against peace deal among the Sudanese people this is absolutely reidicolous and Egypt leaders must change their behavior toward Sudan. No matter how long the Dafur and many others people will be suffering and end. I think time will tell us later on some one who mistreat his own people when the world tell him this is wrong to do it for your own people then he said no it is okay and the country does not meant one Tribe only nor one person.
I understood that, when a leader gain power then, he/she think that he is not going to give any one chance to lead as he did this is a bad concept particularly in African leadership fortunately, things are very much changing now in the world and I would like to tell Egypt Minister not to be loyal with one person in the Sudan.I thought Egypt leaders and many more others Africa Nations will tell President Bashir that you must step down if you want this problem to solve in your country but it never happen like that why, because we Africa people are much more stipid we even do not think that, it is not bad to tell some one right things about some things wrong and need to be pick it. To me I care about people and I love them all,Khartoum maybe thinking about theirs leadership rather than seeing the fact that people are facing now. I do think one person alone can not live in Sudan because Sudan is big than you, Sudan country is one important nation in Africa and perhaps,it is a big nation in term of areas but the population is too little to compare with smallest others nations in Africa.
Finally, is there any benefit Egypt Minister Ahmed Abul will get if part of the Sudanese people are dieath while other are enjoying in leadership? How the Egyptian leaders see us in the Sudan and how we will see them the time to come? I want very one in the Sudan to Understand that, Sudan country does not mean one person can lead people only in the Sudan. Any one be a preisdent when you are united people not love one side and hate it others. I think those people who want Omar Al Bashir to continue his leadership mean that, the suffering for Darfur people and many more others in Sudan is okay for them because they do not care about human lives.