Don’t panic on ICC arrest warrant for Bashir, says Sudan’s Vice-President

By Isaac Vuni

March 8, 2009 (JUBA) — The First Vice President of Sudan and President of the Government of Southern Sudan has today appealed to all Sudanese not to panic on the issuance of the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against President Omar Hassan el Bashir.

Kiir is the head of a committee formed to respond to the ICC procedure, but he is often absent from its meetings, as occurred this week. The world court last Wednesday indicted Bashir on seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, which include murder, rape and torture.

Speaking to the congregation of Kator Cathedral in Juba, the South’s leader said that the ICC took the drastic decision after they were fully convinced that President Bashir was protecting the most wanted Sudanese of the National Congress Party (NCP)-led government from answering questions on atrocities they committed on Darfurians.

President Kiir disclosed that SPLM had wanted the NCP-led government to remove 51 people allegedly implicated in inflicting genocide on their own people in Darfur and Southern Sudan since the founding of NCP, but the ruling party has refused to comply.

Both NCP and the SPLM party led by Kiir are partners in a Government of National Unity since signing the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, so SPLM had wanted to avoid embarrassment from the ICC but NCP refused to comply, instead believing they could manipulate SPLM members into accepting their defiance of the court, suggested Kiir.

He further referred to the expulsion order made last week against 13 foreign aid organizations, noting that they are welcome to relocate in southern Sudan since they would be serving the same Sudanese who are said to be marginalized by the Khartoum government.

The southern leader, who was accompanied by Samson Lukare Kwaje, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, was greeted by thousands of children and faithful catholic youth who pledged their full support to him. It was the first time Kiir held a public address since the arrest warrant was issued.

At the same occasion, the holy mass was celebrated by Fr. Santo Lako, a young priest of the Juba Archdiocese.

(ST)