Sudan tells South Africa to stop ‘cheap propaganda’
June 8, 2010 (WASHINGTON) — The Sudanese ambassador to South Africa criticized the government there for consistently reiterating their adherence to their international obligations and intention to arrest president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir who faces an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Bashir stand accused of masterminding a campaign of mass murder, torture and rape in Sudan’s Western region of Darfur that has been in a constant state of instability over the last seven years.
Last month South Africa’s president Jacob Zuma suggested that despite an invitation extended by his country to Bashir along with other African leaders to attend the FIFA World Cup Finals, he is subject to arrest if he sets foot in the country.
The Sudanese foreign ministry issued a statement afterwards saying Zuma was misrepresented by the media “to serve an agenda” and that his position is no different from that of the African Union (AU) which calls for a moratorium on ICC proceedings, as it would leads to a continued deterioration of the situation.
However, on the same day the South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane issued a statement reaffirming that “Zuma’s pronouncement that if the Sudanese President was to visit the country, he will be arrested as South Africa was a signatory to the international justice system”.
On Tuesday the Sudanese envoy in Johannesburg Ali Yousuf Ahmed Al-Sharif made speaking at the Institute for Global Dialogue and the Africa Institute of South Africa said his government “respect the fact that South Africa is a member of the ICC”
“I don’t think it’s correct to say, ‘If the president of Sudan comes to South Africa, we will arrest him.’ It looks like cheap propaganda” Al-Sharif was quoted as saying by Pretoria News.
“The president will not come to South Africa without an invitation. He is not a tourist. He is a president” he added.
Bashir was reelected last month with a comfortable majority in Sudan’s elections marred by opposition boycott and allegations of fraud by the ruling party.
(ST)
DASODIKO
Sudan tells South Africa to stop ‘cheap propaganda’
look a the fool Ambassador of Sudan doesn’t know that this is called “a confirmative action”to authinticate the speech of Zuma on the issue of your ICC wanted President Bashir. Because the Ambassador of Sudan deeply sleeps on his ears; he didn’t read the media to know that his governemnt at home tried to delude the public opinion by trying to make all brilliant South Africa journalists as foolish by saying that all those journalists misquoted Zuma. What a crap!!!!
South Africa knows very well that Islamist governemnt in Khartoun use to distort the speech of everybody when they found out that his speech is againt them. I remembered many cases that included the speech of A Formers UN Secretary General Koffi Annan when he visted Sudan.
Now I will myself repeat it again; If Bashir stepped in South Africa he will be arrested. Not only South Africa but the Neigboring Kampala, he will also be arrested. Rat you will spent the rest of your life in your ditch only moving in night times.