US says Sudanese president not welcome on its territory, urges his surrender
March 23, 2009 (WASHINGTON) — The US government for the first time publicly announced that Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir will not be welcome to visit in light of the arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against him.
The acting US State department spokesperson Robert Wood said that the decision to receive or arrest Bashir is up to the Eritrean government.
“That’s a decision for the Eritreans. If they decide to arrest, you know, President Bashir or not, that’s a decision for the Eritrean Government” he said.
“He would not be welcomed in the United States in any way…we wouldn’t do that here, I can assure you” Wood said about possible visit by Bashir to the US.
The US official reiterated his country’s position that “they want to see those who commit these types of atrocities held accountable”.
Observers say that Washington, which is not a member of the ICC, has reacted with caution to the arrest warrant against Bashir.
The ICC judges issued an arrest warrant for Bashir on seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, which include murder, rape and torture.
Wood declined to say whether the US would arrest Bashir if he lands on its territory but said that the Sudanese leader “should turn himself in [to the ICC]”.
He further said that the US administration want to see Bashir reversing his decision to expel more than a dozen aid agencies from Darfur this month.
The US is pressuring African and Arab countries to persuade Sudan to rescind the expulsion order of relief groups.
However Sudan said that its national organizations will be able to cover any gap created by their departure.
Khartoum alleged that the foreign NGOs were cooperating with the ICC in its investigations on Darfur crimes and vowed not to allow them back in. But the ICC prosecutor vehemently denied the claim.
(ST)
Great thinker
US says Sudanese president not welcome on its territory, urges his surrender
It is not enough for the US to declare that Bashir will not be welcomed in its territory. Instead it is now time for the US and her allies to supply weapons to whoever is opposed to the regime of Bashir in the Sudan so that such groups are strengthened to the extend that they can over through his government and eventually arrest him.
If the African Union and the Western world continues to play diplomacy with a president who is a criminal, than he will continue to further his evil intentions against any one he percieves to have been or is cooperating with the ICC. It is time the western world moves in the direction of providing millitary training as well as provide weapons to the Darfur rebells.
The Arab world at present seems to be telling the christian world one thing: That they can only stand and support arab muslims and muslims of light skin . As for dark skinned muslims of Africa, they really do not care who happens to them.
To kill all Darfur muslims is not a crime in the eyes of most muslim countries as long as the act is carried out by a real Muslim like Bashir.
Garang
US says Sudanese president not welcome on its territory, urges his surrender
TO All Darfuri!!!
To all Darfuris in western countries USA and Canada, please make a rally, let your voices be heard by OBama’s Adminstration to act quickly to the silent genocide that is still going on since the expulsion of aid workers in sudan. people are still dying of hunger and thirst.
Hold Al bashire accountable.
so please rally and alot will Join you.
tayeb M. Alhassan
US says Sudanese president not welcome on its territory, urges his surrender
Always do the right things and go to profoundly sleep without bolting your doors.
First of all this is for the non-appreciative commenters here.
Albasheer has achieved too much for you and it had been too much for any pervious governments to achieve. You deserve governors who used to laugh but at you wasting your time in nonsense for 10 years or more then you come to know that you live in medieval ages fighting civil wars and running behind aid agencies begging for food.
You deserve somebody gags your mouths to die before uttering a word because your mouths never used to thank god and the one who dos’nt thank god will thank people.
You deserve foreign occupation military to fuck your mothers and sisters in the vicinity of your very eyes but say nothing because you already got fucked.
You deserve to live in fear and terror because you don’t recognise peace to dream about the time when Albasheer seeking peace for non-appreciative folks like you.
Albasheer has done a lot of good waiting for nothing good comes out of you. The impossible, if it happens in the Hague Albasheer also will defend himself like a man and don’t expect him to be coward, for cowardice never find a way to men like him.