Chad will cooperate with ICC on Darfur crimes – Deby

May 13, 2009 (NDJAMENA) — Chad will cooperate openly with the International Criminal Court (ICC) on war crimes in Darfur, said President Idriss Deby to express his anger for Sudan’s support to the rebels.

The ICC judges last March issued an arrest warrant against President Al-Bashir for Darfur war crimes. Last year the court also issued two arrest warrants for the former state minister of humanitarian affairs. The African Union rejected the ICC decision and seeks to suspend the ICC jurisdiction.

Chad, which is a State Party to the Rome Statute, also last week beat back an invasion launched from Sudan by an estimated three to five thousand fighters.

The Chadian ruling party, the Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS), organized on Wednesday a rally to denounce “Sudanese aggression” against the country, and to support President Deby after the failure of the fourth attack by the Sudan-backed rebels.

Speaking to the demonstration of around 10,000 people, President Deby said that his government is considering severing diplomatic relations with Sudan, adding that his government would not take part in meetings involving Sudan and “will cooperate fully and openly with the International Criminal Court.”

The Chadian government had declared Wednesday a paid national holiday to celebrate victory over the rebels.

Chad hosts many Sudanese refugees in the east near the Sudanese border. Among them are many affected by the atrocities committed by the Sudanese army and government-backed militias.

ICC officials visit the camps regularly to meet the refugees. Also, a UN teams conducted a large-scale investigation in 2005 in order to refer the Darfur crimes to the ICC.

By adopting this position, Deby also confirms statements he made last week that he has lost confidence in the African Union and wants only the United Nations to deal with the Sudan-Chad crisis. Re-asserting this on Wednesday he said, “Similarly, Chad will reassess its participation in the functioning and meetings of regional and sub-regional organizations.”

Last week, Deby criticized Libya’s lack of support to a draft resolution by the UN Security Council to condemn the Sudanese government for its support to the Chadian rebels.

The Libyan Muammar Gadhafi is the current chairperson of the African Union. Deby’s rejection of the AU role might confirm the rupture between the two countries.

Sudan has denied backing the Union of Forces for the Resistance (UFR), the coalition of the main Chadian rebel factions that launched the surprise attack on May 4.

For its part, Khartoum has long insisted Chad end its support for rebels, mainly the Justice and Equality Movement operating in its western province of Darfur.

(ST)