Gaddafi’s son supports prosecuting Sudan’s Bashir for Darfur war crimes: report
August 11, 2010 (WASHINGTON) — A Libyan human right group headed by the son of Muammar Gaddafi has issued a statement last week calling for prosecuting perpetrators of war crimes in Darfur “irrespective of their positions” in what appears to be a subtle reference to the indictment of Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The Qatar-based Al-Jazeera website said that the statement by the Arab Alliance For Democracy, Development and Human Rights (ADDHR) coincided with a visit made by Bashir to Tripoli last Wednesday for talks with his Libyan counterpart.
Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and genocide during Darfur’s seven-year conflict
“The Arab Alliance For Democracy, Development and Human Rights continues to monitor and follow the grave humanitarian situation in Darfur and the resulting suffering and serious violations of human rights and crimes against humanity,” said a statement by the group on their website.
“The continuation of humanitarian violations against the citizens of Darfur and subjecting them to the suffering, killing and displacement is a serious situation that requires condemnation and working to stop it,”.
“[The world] cannot continue to turn a blind eye to crimes committed against innocent people in Darfur by parties to the conflict [including] government and rebel factions. [The world] cannot continue to postpone the realization of justice and offering compliments to offenders irrespective of their positions. This requires all states, governments, organizations and human rights activists to show solidarity with this humanitarian issue and not siding with the devil’s advocates so that each party faces the results of their own actions,” the statements reads.
ADDHR also underscored its position regarding selective justice and stressed that all suspects should be prosecuted.
“There is no party that is immune [from prosecution] or above the law mo matter what his title is” ADDHR said.
The statement is a rare one coming from an Arab group. Many Arabs say that the West is more willing to put their leaders to trial than those perpetrators of crimes in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and Gaza.
Relations between Sudan and Libya have been strained over the latter’s hosting of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) leader Khalil Ibrahim who took arms against the Sudanese government in 2003 accusing Khartoum of leaving their region marginalized and underdeveloped.
Khartoum has persistently demanded that Libya expel Ibrahim or hand him over to face charges over his role in leading a failed attempt to take over the Sudanese capital more than two years ago. However, Libyan officials made remarks saying they cannot heed to Sudan’s request but vowed to limit Ibrahim’s movements and prevent him from making political statements or issuing orders to his forces.
Last month, Sudan closed its borders with Libya protect travellers from “rebels and outlaws”. Libya said it understood the decision, given the upheaval in Darfur.
Al-Jazeera website interviewed the managing director of ADDHR, Ali Saeed Al-Borgothi who denied that the Libyan government has anything to do with the statement. He noted however, that Saif Al-Islam Al-Gaddafi, who is the head of the group, is convinced that justice should not be circumvented whether the suspects are individuals or regimes stressing that ADDHR has nothing to do with political calculations.
But a number of Libyan analysts surveyed by the pan-Arab TV said that the statement is an expression of Tripoli’s unofficial position.
“The party [Bashir] who is addressed by this statement knows who is the chief of these organizations and takes them seriously,” political analyst Mohamed Mammi said.
“The statement is a heavy-calibre message targeting president Bashir personally when we talk about the timing of publishing it in the media,” he added.
Mammi further said that no one can deny ADDHR’s links with the Libyan government and the financial support it receives from it suggesting that it conveys Tripoli’s unofficial position.
“Bashir is wanted for arrest in many countries, and up till last week he was moving freely in the African and Arab countries, but such statements may limit his travel to certain areas, and I do not rule out that Libya or any other country may arrest him” the political analyst said.
Chad, a full ICC member, hosted Bashir last month but did not arrest him, reflecting a rapprochement between the neighbours who had waged a proxy war in Darfur and eastern Chad. The move was seen to be a result of Libyan pressure on Chad to allow Bashir to attend a regional summit hosted by Ndjamena despite the arrest warrant.
Libya has been one of the main lobbyists in the African Union (AU) to adopt resolutions offering immunity to Bashir from prosecution in the continent and condemning the Hague Tribunal.
Ibrahim Al-Maqsabi, a Libyan political researcher, told Al-Jazeera that the statement is part of an “image polishing campaign” for Saif Al-Islam Al-Gaddafi “as a reformist who defends democratic and liberal values and a supporter of international institutions and its decisions”.
Al-Maqsabi added that the statement being made by a non-governmental group shifts pressure away from the Libyan government which has been one of Bashir’s main backers but at the same times allows Libya to fully integrate into the international community after years of UN sanctions and being labelled as a pariah state.
On Wednesday, an ICC source in the Hague told Sudan Tribune that its prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has met in 2008 with Saif Al-Islam Al-Gaddafi at the Cinema for Peace international charity-gala held in Berlin.
According to the source, Saif Al-Islam expressed his willingness to support the ICC in the presence of U.S. actress Hilary Swank. The source declined to offer any further details on the conversation between the two men.
The liberal-leaning Saif al-Islam Al-Gaddafi, who took a central role in ending Libya’s stand-off with the West, has the highest profile among Gaddafi’s sons but lacks any official role and Libya experts say he has little support from the army, whose endorsement is seen as vital if he is to hold power from his father who led the country for over 40 years.
(ST)
Dengtaath
Gaddafi’s son supports prosecuting Sudan’s Bashir for Darfur war crimes: report
Sudan’s Bashier should not terrify the world when the truth told it self alone. This Gaddafi son he is speaking the truth, no body immune or above the law, if Bashier is a suspect of Darfur crimes perpatuator, he should be held responsible. This is the bottom line, it shouldn’t be a problem for Sudan to say ok, Libyia is supporting the ICC, Bashier has shot himself in the foot already, he must face justice, is a matter of time.
Jetson
Gaddafi’s son supports prosecuting Sudan’s Bashir for Darfur war crimes: report
This is but such a good move though….
If they are serious, they will him the country again!
Lokang
Gaddafi’s son supports prosecuting Sudan’s Bashir for Darfur war crimes: report
Hahahaha…
This sort of propaganda is very easy to say. saying is one thing and doing is another thing. The truth of the matters alway goes hand in hand if both rhetoric words goes togather with the action.
In this current century, it’s hard to believe a fellow human being who claim to be Ambassadors of peace. Action speak louder than word.
It was not long ago when the devil to be call did pay a special visit to Tripoli, what good news should we learn from that other than the continuous funding of those known Militia Janja…..shit to cause such havoc in Darfur.
paul baak anyaar
Gaddafi’s son supports prosecuting Sudan’s Bashir for Darfur war crimes: report
The world is not supposedly blind to atrocities committed by Al Bashir in Darfur. And if at all there is justice in the world, then Bashir should not be allowed to perpetrate such serious crimes with impunity.
telfajbago
Gaddafi’s son supports prosecuting Sudan’s Bashir for Darfur war crimes: report
come on man are you serious; I read an article posted on Sudantribune earlier this week, I can not remember the writer’s name, but it was written that, your father colonel Muammar played a direct role in arming and training the Janjaweeds militias, do you mean he will also be held accountable a long with Al-Bashir?
Abraham Majur Lam
Gaddafi’s son supports prosecuting Sudan’s Bashir for Darfur war crimes: report
Thanks man for the stand and your Dad is doing opposite Bashir must face the law whether as a president or later when he retire nothing will prevent ICC indictment agaisthim, however much Extremists protect him for the reasons best known to them Allah will not forgive him ( Bashir).
kitir
Gaddafi’s son supports prosecuting Sudan’s Bashir for Darfur war crimes: report
I thank this is a kind of roles exchanging between father and son, Kaddafi is blamed by the human rights activists and from some super states for his hostile remark made on ICC, both in African leader’s summit in Kampala and N’djamena Cin-Sad , now the son intervene to turn the eyes from his father’s extremist positions on ICC, as the statement gives impression that his country /father respecs human right. Anyhow it’s not bad to Kaddafi to correct his mistaks through his son.
James Wieu Mayol
Gaddafi’s son supports prosecuting Sudan’s Bashir for Darfur war crimes: report
well! politic is a very dirty game. I am sure Bashir was warmly welcome inspite of his crime. How someone associated with criminal and still can be a member of human right group? I am not agree to the statement. Gaddafi and his son conspiracy is very clear and prove through the whole country. No one complain when Bashir come. But now politically they want to correct the mistaken. those who think they are Arab nation, Bashir is a criminal and his wanting by ICC. recieve him and welcome him but later the consequences are great.