Sudan’s NCP describes the AU as a ‘frail’ organization after Bashir’s exclusion from summit

November 29, 2010 (KHARTOUM) –The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) in Sudan lambasted the African Union (AU) on Monday for not taking a firmer position regarding the row over the attendance of president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir at the 3rd Africa-European Union (EU) summit that is currently underway in the Libyan capital.

The EU has made it clear to the Libyan government over the last few weeks through diplomatic channels that Bashir’s participation will impact their level of representation at the summit. The event in itself highlights Tripoli’s success in returning to the international arena after decades of sanctions and isolation.

Bashir’s status as an individual wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged war crimes and genocide in Darfur has restricted his travel and contacts with world officials particularly from the West.

The Libyan foreign minister Moussa Koussa on Sunday told the Associated Press (AP) that they have asked Bashir to cancel his appearance at the summit to avoid ruining efforts by Tripoli to put the meeting together.

A statement issued by the Sudanese presidency yesterday showed Bashir as someone determined to attend despite Libyan pleas to skip the gathering.

“The minister of the Presidency expressed to the Libyan official the decision of the Government of Sudan to participate in the summit at the presidency level as long as Libya has formally invited him and as long as such participation comes within the framework of Sudan’s membership in the African Union; the core party in this summit and that Sudan is not concerned with any position taken by the EU side”.

“At the same day of scheduled travel by Mr. President to participate in the summit, the Minister of the Presidency in charge of receive a call from the senior Libyan official saying that Libya welcomes Mr. President on 30/11/2010 which is after the end of the summit of the Africa-EU summit”.

The Libya Press news agency, an outlet affiliated with a son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, said that civil aviation authorities in Libya were reluctant to grant Bashir’s plane clearance to fly in to the country “for technical reasons” prompting a cancellation by Khartoum.

The media top official at the NCP Fathi Sheila was quoted by party’s newspaper Al-Raed as saying that Bashir’s exclusion was “precooked and detailed”.

Sheila also fired shots at the AU describing it as a “frail” body that implements what the West asks it to do adding that Sudan circumvented an EU plot to bring it to the summit and force it to accept the resolutions. The NCP official stressed that his country is well aware of the EU colonization schemes.

The Pan-African bloc has given its full backing to Bashir and went as far as instructing its members not to cooperate with the ICC in apprehending Bashir even if they are signatories to the treaty which founded the court which obliges them to execute the warrants. So far Kenya and Chad, both ICC members, allowed the Sudanese leader to visit without arresting him.

The non-cooperation resolutions were pushed for primarily by Libya which has described the tribunal as a tool of international terrorism.

Reuters said that Sudan is likely to be disappointed that Libya, a supposed ally, did not take a stand similar to Egypt’s. Libya was one of the first states to receive Bashir after the warrant for him was issued. It called the ICC a tool of international terrorism.

But Libyan-Sudanese relations have been tense since Tripoli agreed to host Darfur rebel leader Khalil Ibrahim despite Sudan’s request that Tripoli expel him.

The Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Taha addressing a rally in Sennar state on Monday also blasted the EU saying that they will not succeed in breaking Bashir as he is a “symbol to his people and homeland”.

“We will not be broken nor will we surrender, they [EU] will not be able to silence his voice or break his sword, and will remain a symbol of liberation,” Taha said.

(ST)