South Sudan politicians say ICC “orchestrated by outsiders”
April 2, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – Southern Sudanese political leaders denounced the arrest warrant for the President Omer Hassan Al-Bashir saying it was politically motivated and “orchestrated by outsiders.”
Some 64 southern Sudanese political leaders and figure met in Kenana, on the eastern bank of the White Nile, 250km south of Sudan’s capital, to discuss the ICC decision and to review the political situation in the south.
Chaired Gissimalla Aldallah Rassas, Former President of the High Executive Council for Southern Sudan, the two day meeting was also attended by Presidential Advisor Bona Malwal, former foreign minister Lam Akol, among others.
“President Al-Bashir, is our head of state, accountable only to us, the people of Sudan and no to any other body anywhere in the world. Sudan is not a member of the ICC and the ICC move against our President is clearly orchestrated by outsiders, to subject Sudan to their whims.”
The statement further reaffirmed the rejection of the ICC move and described it as “part of new international order” aiming to control the developing countries.
The meeting also argued that President Al-Bashir signed three peace agreements in the country in southern eastern and western parts of sudan. “An attempt to remove him from power at this juncture, by whatever means, including through the ICC indictment efforts, is an attempt to derail all the functioning Sudanese peace agreements.”
The southern leaders urged Darfur rebels to negotiate a political settlement for the conflict and pledged to support Al-Bashir as long as he remains committed to the signed peace deals.
“To President Al Bashir, we wish to assure him that as long as he upholds the principle of search for peace, for all the people of Sudan and as long as he continue to implement the peace agreements that he has already signed into law for the good of all the people of Sudan no ICC will remove him from power.”
The judges of the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I issued on March 4 an arrest warrant for the Sudanese president on seven counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Sudan refused to recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC saying it has not ratified the treaty establishing the court. Currently there are two ICC arrest warrants pending for Ahmed Haroun, state minister for humanitarian affairs, and militia commander Ali Mohamed Ali Abdel-Rahman, also know as Ali Kushayb.
(ST)