Sudan expels Chadian opposition as Bashir prepares to make landmark visit to Ndjamena

July 20, 2010 (WASHINGTON) — The Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir prepares to make a landmark visit to Chad starting Wednesday making it the first visit to his Eastern neighbour after years of proxy wars between the two sides.

On Saturday a diplomatic source informed Sudan Tribune of the proposed visit by Bashir.

The visit also marks the first time Bashir sets foot in a country that is a signatory to the found treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which issued an arrest warrant for the Sudanese head of state alleging his responsibility for war crimes in Darfur.

Last week, the ICC added genocide charges to the warrant against Bashir after a year-long appeal process by the prosecutors.

“Within the framework of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CENSAD) summit President Omar al-Bashir is expected here tomorrow [Wednesday] at 5:00 pm (1600 GMT) to join the summit which will take place on Thursday,” an official in the president’s office in Ndjamena told Agence France Presse (AFP).

Theoretically the Chadian government has an obligation under the Rome Statute during his visit but it appears unlikely that this will happen as observers suggested that Bashir received assurances from his Chadian counterpart Idriss Deby.

“We feel confident — we believe Deby is genuine and that he’s respected the agreement with the government of Sudan so far and he’s realised that his interests lie with a good and friendly relationship with Sudan,” an unidentified Sudanese official told Reuters today.

The Rome Statute says the court may refer a situation where a state party violates their obligations “to the assembly of States Parties or, where the Security Council referred the matter to the Court, the Security Council”.

The visit will give Bashir and his government a political boost as genocide charges raised worries of further isolation from the international community.

Chad was one of the few countries to oppose a resolution adopted by the African Union (AU) under Libyan pressure last year instructing its members not to cooperate in apprehending Bashir even if they are ICC members.

However, following normalization of ties with Sudan this year, the Chadian president Idriss Deby said he invited his Sudanese counterpart to visit and would guarantee his safety despite the outstanding arrest warrant.

Deby met last week with the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo in Paris though it is not clear if the planned visit by Bashir to Ndjamena was discussed.

The willingness by Ndjamena to receive Bashir despite the warrant came amid reports that Khartoum expelled Chadian opposition figures from its territory.

Chadian opposition sources confirmed the expulsion to Sudan Tribune, saying that Qatar heeded to a request by Sudan to host them. The figures evicted include Timan Erdimi, Mahamat Nouri and Adouma Hassaballa.

Deby, who made a landmark visit to Khartoum in February for the inauguration of Bashir’s new presidential term, had expelled Khalil Ibrahim who leads the powerful Darfur rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

“After Khalil’s expulsion, it was Sudan’s turn to respect their side of the deal” and expel the rebels, said another Chadian rebel.

A Chadian diplomat agreed. “President Bashir must show that he has done his work and that there are no more Chadian rebels in Sudan if he goes to Chad,” the diplomat told AFP.

‘SHAMEFUL DISTINCTION’

An official at Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that if Bashir does make the visit then it will risk “the shameful distinction of being the first ICC member state to harbour a suspected war criminal from the court”.

“Chad should not flout its obligations to arrest al-Bashir if he enters Chad. Moreover, a political deal between Chad and Sudan is no justification for shielding alleged war criminals. Instead of protecting a fugitive from justice,” said Elise Keppler, international justice senior counsel at Human Rights Watch (HRW) in remarks to Sudan Tribune.

“Chad should not flout its obligations to arrest al-Bashir if he enters Chad.”
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