ICC prosecutor calls for isolating Sudan president
April 18, 2009 (WASHINGTON) — The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Luis Moreno-Ocampo urged the international community degrade contacts with Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.
Last month the ICC judges approved the prosecutor’s request for an arrest warrant to be issued against Bashir on seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The majority of the judges in Pre-Trial Chamber I however said there was not sufficient evidence to endorse charges of genocide.
The warrant drew widespread condemnation from Arab, Islamic and African countries, even those who are members of the Rome Statute that forms the basis of the ICC.
“On practical terms the states must sever non-essential contacts with Bashir and degrade diplomatic relations with his country and avoid attending any event with him [Bashir]” Ocampo told the London based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper in an interview.
“His personal assets should be tracked and exposed imposing a state of isolation and marginalization on him paving the way for his arrest” he added.
Despite the warrant Bashir managed to travel to a more than half a dozen countries including Eritrea, Libya, Qatar, Egypt and Saudi Arabia meeting with most of its leaders. None of these countries are members of the ICC and under resolution 1593 referring the Darfur situation to the court, non-state parties have no obligations to apprehend the Sudanese president.
However US officials who visited Khartoum have avoided meeting with Bashir including special envoy to Sudan Scott Gration and Senator John Kerry. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has made no contacts with the Sudanese president since the indictment.
An embarrassing moment occurred last month in Qatar during a lunch banquet when the Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva declined to sit next to the Sudanese president and abruptly left the hall.
The ICC prosecutor acknowledged that apprehending Bashir may take time but told the newspaper “that his destiny is to face justice”.
He refused criticism that his move against Bashir complicated Darfur crisis through Khartoum’s decision to expel aid groups immediately after the warrant.
“The prosecutor cannot remain silent on extermination. Silence will not help the victims but will help the criminals” Ocampo said.
The Argentinean born lawyer dismissed any talk of a compromise allowing to drop the case against Bashir in return for handing over lesser suspects wanted by the ICC.
“My office does not engage in political negotiations” he said.
Asked about his appeal on the charges of genocide, Ocampo asserted that the evidence in his possession shows that forces following Bashir’s orders are deliberately attacking civilians and imposing life conditions intended to bring about their physical destruction.
The judges have yet to rule on the appeal submitted last month. The Pre-Trial Chamber has been reconstituted and new judges have been admitted to review the Darfur case.
Sudan refuses to recognize the jurisdiction of the court and insists that its judiciary is capable of looking into the alleged crimes committed in Darfur.
(ST)
Seeds_of_God
ICC prosecutor calls for isolating Sudan president
If zombified African leaders and their Arab allies think convicted Bashir’s case will complicate matters, I doubt that’s the case. Just avoid the maggot and everything will be fine.
By the way, does anybody know where he is hiding the billions he has stolen?
RED ARMY INTERNATIONAL
ICC prosecutor calls for isolating Sudan president
Luis Moreno has a point in bring people who don’t respect other people’s lives to justice, however, a failure is becoming apparent in the case of arresting Bashir. Indeed, Bashir’s arrest warrant has made many Sudanese sympathize and unite strongly. Even the strongest ememies to the president are generally backing up the president. By and large, the Sudanese President indictment has special characteristic. The first President in power to be indicted. Bashir still have popular support and his immunity is still intact, remember Mr. Ocampo.
Given that some of the countries are not members of the ICC but are members of UN there are are chances that ICC arrest warrant may not be successfu; Bashir still enjoy grassroot support. Remember, Bashir took power as the least officer. He managed to win the hearts and minds of his sypathizers and took power in a bloodless coup. I still maintain that Bashir still possess the charm he came to power with among his people in Sudan, I see slim margin of success for the ICC.
By James Gai Wuor.
Sudanthinker
ICC prosecutor calls for isolating Sudan president
The Irony of the situation is the given the negative global reaction (aside from Britain, France and the US) to the ICC decision it seems that it is Mr.Ocampo who looks increasingly isolated; I would be polishing my C.V if I was him.