AU agree to protect Sudanese president from arrest
July 3, 2009 (WASHINGTON) — The African Union (AU) leaders agreed today to shield Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir from any possibility of arrest within the continent members of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The warrant included counts of seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity but dropped the genocide charges requested by the prosecutor.
Ocampo is expected to submit an appeal for the inclusion of crime of genocide next week before the appeals chamber.
The marathonic talks on the text relating to the ICC lasted until late Friday night following divisions with the countries that ratified the Rome Statute.
Libya has introduced the draft text to the surprise of the African delegates and was endorsed late Thursday night by the foreign ministers despite resistance from countries including Chad, Botswana and Ghana.
The text was changed from refusing to arrest any African individual to specifying that it was only Bashir who would be afforded immunity.
The decision at the African Union summit says AU members “shall not cooperate” with the court in The Hague “in the arrest and transfer of the president of Sudan to the ICC”.
The text agreed by consensus though it appears some countries objected up until the last minute including Chad.
“Consensus usually means unanimity, but in this case there was some dissent,” said Benin Foreign Minister Jean-Marie Ehouzou, who said objections by Chad or others would likely be added as caveats to the final summit declaration.
Prime Minister Bernard Makuza of Rwanda, whose country is not an ICC member, conceded the resolution had been “a hot spot” in the leaders’ three-day summit that ended Friday, but that countries finally approved the Libyan-led decision because they don’t feel fairly treated by the ICC.
“We’re not promoting impunity, but we’re saying that Westerners who don’t understand anything about Africa should stop trying to import their solutions,” Makuza told the Associated Press (AP) on the sidelines of the summit.
Earlier today the officials from the Western Sahara, a contested desert territory with Morocco, criticized the draft decision.
“We need more international justice, not less, otherwise it’s a jungle,” Sayed told The Associated Press on Friday morning.
Bachir Mustapha Sayed, Western Sahara’s deputy leader, said the draft decision was “very worrying”.
“We need more international justice, not less, otherwise it’s a jungle,” Sayed told The Associated Press on Friday morning as the 30 AU members who are party to the ICC met behind closed doors to see how to handle the draft.
Sayed and others downplayed the decision in advance. “It’s a political statement of solidarity: it has no legal powers,” he said.
The Sudanese government hailed the decision by the AU.
“It’s the confirmation of what we always said: The indictment is a political thing, not a legal thing,” deputy Foreign Minister Al-Samani Al-Wasila told The Associated Press just after the decision was made public.
However, he would not say whether Bashir would travel freely to any of the thirty countries that are ICC members.
This year Botswana and South Africa have publicly announced that they will apprehend the Sudanese head of state if he visits. However Djibouti and Comoros Island announced that they will not honor their obligations under the Rome Statute.
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Akol Liai Mager
AU agree to protect Sudanese president from arrest
As an Arab branch, AU pledge of protecting a president fully responsible for ethnic cleansing genocide does not surprised ordinary African citizens because of their experiences.
However, it may have surprised some western human rights activits. The people of good will worldwide need to prepare themselves for a big battle not to only ensure the Darfur killers are brought to justice, but to train African local human right activits to advocate for their people.
Ambago
AU agree to protect Sudanese president from arrest
Now we Africans have the opportunity to understand why there was genocide in Rwanda in the first place. Africa under the current AU of Al Ghadafi is yet another mocking stock. No one in the entire world would be taken by surprise to hear this bull shit,”
“ The decision at the African Union summit says AU members “shall not cooperate” with the court in The Hague “in the arrest and transfer of the president of Sudan to the ICC”.
This in it self is not new to Africa, and let it be known to all that what goes around comes around.
The Arabs led by Ghadafi and Al Bashir might have succeeded in buying the support of the poor African nations using the oil money. Yet these Judas must remember that the blood money that they received as a price for their un popular stand on the Darfur problem will be regretted by them sooner than latter when the Khartoum based criminals re-start their campaigns in the Islamisation and al Qaedization of the continent.
Any average thinking person knows that the regime in Khartoum will never reach a peaceful solution on the Darfur crisis. It is evident from the regime’s mouth piece on this website (Oshay), who probably is being paid than not, to puppetize the Khartoum regimes malicious propaganda.
The current Obama regime in the US is adopting a low grade cancer eating technique with the rulers in Khartoum to win a strong footage in the country a fundamental step in their new approach to bring about the needed change in the Sudan.
Obama doesn’t want Sudan to turn into another Somalia and they want to come back and conquer the NIF/NCP regime in Khartoum the same way they dismantled the Soviet Union using warm but yet a lethal diplomacy. People in Darfur may continue to suffer, but as the US has chosen south Sudan as an strategic ally in the region no lees than Egypt and Israel, then the rest unfortunately may end up being consumed in the due process.
Sooner than later al Bashir will get a fresh arrest warrant from the ICC and this time it will be entirely on well founded proofs for his intended role in the genocide in Darfur. With the looming proof of genocide al Bashir is now an easy prey for the Yankees.
Samson Shawel Ambaye
AU agree to protect Sudanese president from arrest
God be with the ICC. No matter what AU said Bashir must be arrested. AU members seems they have crimes like Bashir and they are afraid of being arrested like him.
Hillary B.M.L,M
AU agree to protect Sudanese president from arrest
Africa Countries are no longer useful and lost their values and judgment. See how they blindly endorsed ready prepared Resolution Draft on the issue of Dictatorkiller, President Omer Albasher. Black Africans become Slaves of Arabs Africans Politically and Socially. It is really shameful for Africa well known countries to be just, may be of nice food served to them by Libya President happily agreed on one man thoughts i.e ( Ma’maar Khagaffi). It was true for him to call himself King of Kings of Africans. Very big shame on Africa, new canalization by Arabs is on the way.
Kur
AU agree to protect Sudanese president from arrest
The people of Darfur should at this point know that they are on their own. The AU is no longer a nuetral body because this blind organization has stated very clearly that the victims of rape, killing, displacement, and robbery have no human value to be protected. One criminal is the winner. Therefore, I urge the people of Darfur to reconsider any dealing with the AU because this body, controlled by dictators, will not help the case of Darfur. The AU will bring more harm to Darfur than good. Kur
Spla Commando
AU agree to protect Sudanese president from arrest
This will lead to miscourage of justice. shame on Gaddafi and the AU.
SPLA Commando
M.C.C Kul-chi-gongic
AU agree to protect Sudanese president from arrest
How did Africa Union protect criminal?
M.C.C Kul-chi-gogic
Thondet Manyang
AU agree to protect Sudanese president from arrest
THIS IS ALREADY THERE THAT GADAFI HAS THE SERCET WITH BASHIR FINISHING DARFURIAN WOMEN AND CHILDREN SUCH THAT THEY MAKE ARABIAN UNTY OR GET MORE POPULARITY FROM THOSE INNOCENT PEOPLE.
WHY?? WHY?? DO THE WORLD IS SO QUITE TO RESPOND BITTERLY TO THESE GANGS.
ANY WAY DEC.09 IS NEAR GADAFI WILL TALK OF HIS OWN COUNTRY SOON. lATE THEM JUST JOKE!!!!!!!!!
I AM DREAMING LIKE THIS COULD BE THE LAST CICK OF DYING HORES
Barna Bahou
AU agree to protect Sudanese president from arrest
I appreciate all your reasonable comments but I have one question. Do these Africans read them? coz if they do then they can’t be cheated that way. Arabs are very cunning. They look for supporters when they are in trouble and cause trouble when they are left in peace. African countries should watch out otherwise they will become international targets. It’s not that when you are against whites (like Mugabe) then you deny them from delivering justice. This is immature politics and we can define it as satisfying your own interests. Supposing you African Leaders are all killed, will you celebrate in hell. Don’t you have the heart for those poor innnocent Darfurians that are slaughtered everyday like your dinner goats. I wish I could have powers to assasinate you all coz you are useless.