Sudan rejects Arab League proposal on criminal law amendments
June 8, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government today announced that it rejected a proposal by the Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa for changes to the criminal law.
However, Al-Sadiq did not detail when the request was made and what changes were proposed.
Last month Sudan adopted a new criminal law that added war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide into its penal code.
The changes were made in wake of the International Criminal Court (ICC) case against Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir initiated last year.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Bashir last March on seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with Darfur conflict.
Bashir also faces the possibility of genocide charges which the ICC judges scrapped by a majority saying evidence does not meet the threshold.
The ICC prosecutor said he expects an appeal on adding the charges to be granted in a few weeks
The Arab league designed a roadmap to Khartoum to resolve the standoff that included conducting national judicial proceedings and changes to criminal law.
Khartoum expressed reservations on some parts of the proposal particularly establishment of hybrid courts with African and Arab judges.
Al-Sadiq said that Sudanese laws criminalizes what is taking place in Darfur adding that the laws do not need an amendment by including the Rome Statute which the Sudanese Government is not a signatory to.
(ST)
Ambago
Sudan rejects Arab League proposal on criminal law amendments
Dear the Sudanese foreign ministry spokesperson Ali Al-Sadiq
We all understand that you are just carrying out your official duty and you are not necessarily the policy maker. It is clear that you have to fight for Al Bashir as long as he pays you, but for the poor Sudanese masses that are languishing under your totalitarian regime the perception is different.
We are all aware that it was only last month (May 2009) that the Sudan was forced to adopt a new criminal law that added war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide into its penal code. This clearly shows that till then your Islamic government in Khartoum and its proxy agents were killing with complete impunity first in the South, then the Nuba Mountains and now in Darfur.
Amr Moussa is a friend of the Arabs of Sudan but still he was quick to realize the dangerous situation posed by your Jihadist’s laws.
You said that the Sudanese laws now criminalizes what is taking place in Darfur and that the laws do not need an amendment by including the Rome Statute which the Sudanese Government is not a signatory to.
The truth is that the amended Sudanese laws can though criminalize what is taking place in Darfur, yet it can not be applied back dated to address the crimes for which president Al Bashir, Haroun and Ali Kusheyba are indicted .
It is only the Rome Statue which can bring to book the above fugitives for the crimes they committed in Darfur in the period 2003 – 2004.
Your government is not also happy with the COMESA’s position which requests the UN Security Council to suspend Al Bashir’s arrest warrant for a year, as you consider it a recognition to the ICC. This as well has been the Arab League’s position as declared in Doha, yet you are not satisfied with both simply because you‘re guilty consciousness.
However you and your arrogant government in Khartoum must understand that the so-called friends of the Sudan be them in the Arab world, the regional African countries or sympathetic individuals all over the world, they will only come to your help using the law and not otherwise. And they can only say and do what is allowed by the UN which recognizes the ICC to which the UNSC referred the Darfur Issue.
Nhial Reath Thoan
Sudan rejects Arab League proposal on criminal law amendments
Where there is no Good governance, it not difficult to break the law and the rights of Judicial Independent.
Sudan is the country who is poor in Democratic and International problems solving issues , we can satisfied from many agreements signed by Khartoum and the Brothers in Darfur with an Eye witness of an International Community and their Arab League allied.
But I blame the United Nations for the way it solve an international conflicts Today it is not convince. United Nations was expected to use its force against the Dictator countries who are for so many reasons against International law and Democracy.