AU chief hits at ICC indictment of Sudan’s president
October 28, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Jean Ping reiterated his position regarding the indictment of the Sudanese president by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“Why Africa only? Why were these laws not applied on Israel, Sri Lanka and Chechnya and its application is confined to Africa?” he said.
The AU official also suggested that former US president should be prosecuted for invading Iraq in 2003 saying that it was based on “false claims” and a “violation of international law”.
“Why are African leaders being put to trial?” he asked.
The Gabonese official has been outspoken in his criticism of the court since the indictment of Bashir accusing it of targeting Africans only and shying away from powerful western nations.
The ICC is currently handling 4 cases consisting of Uganda, Central African Republic (CAR), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Darfur.
With the exception of Darfur all other cases have been referred voluntarily by their respective governments to the ICC for investigation.
The UNSC issued resolution 1593 under chapter VII in March 2005 referring the situation in Darfur to the ICC. At the time Tanzania and Benin voted in support of the resolution while Algeria abstained.
The African continent makes up the majority of the ICC members with 30 countries being signatories of the Rome Statute which forms the basis of the court.
Ping is currently in Abuja, Nigeria where the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) is set to start on Thursday with a main focus on the report compiled by a high-level AU panel led by South Africa’s former president Thabo Mbeki.
The team was mandated to examine the situation in Darfur “in-depth” and propose ways on “how best the issues of accountability and combating impunity … could be effectively and comprehensively addressed”.
The report obtained by Sudan Tribune made an implicit endorsement of the ICC suggesting that it should be allowed to prosecute individuals who bear the greatest responsibility for the crimes committed in Darfur.
It also recommended hybrid courts for Darfur with participation of foreign judges, a proposal which Sudan has flatly rejected in the past.
Ping has sent a letter to Bashir on Thursday on Tuesday ahead of the summit in which he ““expressed his desire to reach ideas before the Peace and Security Council meeting in Abuja” according to Sudan state media.
Asked on the content of the letter Ping said he would not disclose it but expressed disappointment that Bashir would not attend after international and local rights groups had called for his arrest in Nigeria.
Sudan will be represented by 2nd Vice president Ali Osman Taha.
The AU chief urged all Darfur parties to sit down for talks and refrain from military solutions saying that the latter is not the way forward
He also stressed that the Darfur conflict is now a low intensity adding that some international players “do not want to hear this fact”.
The UN says up to 300,000 people have died and 2.7 million fled their homes since ethnic minority rebels in the western region of Darfur first rose up against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum in February 2003.
The Sudanese government disputes the death toll saying 10,000 people died.
(ST)