ICC issue dominates talks of Sudan FM in Paris
January 4, 2011 (PARIS) – Sudan foreign minister Ali Karti on Tuesday held talks in Paris with his French counterpart that focused on the issue of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and efforts to waive Sudan’s foreign debts.
The Hague-based court is seeking the arrest of three Sudanese individuals, including president Al-Bashir on charges war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide allegedly committed in course of a counterinsurgency campaign mounted by the Khartoum government and its allied militias in Sudan’s restive western region of Darfur.
The ICC’s arrest warrant managed to curtail the movement of Al-Bashir who was recently asked to cancel two planned trips to Libya and the Central African Republic (CAR) which reportedly caved in to pressure from France.
Sudan was outraged by the two diplomatic humiliations, prompting Karti in December to say that his country had decided to review its relations with a number of EU countries which seek to undermine Sudan.
On Monday the French top diplomat said she will convey to her Sudanese counterpart her government’s desire to see a timely referendum and resumption of peace talks in Doha.
Karti, who said he had briefed the French minister on latest developments in Sudan and the referendum on south Sudan independence, was further quoted as saying that he sensed a good understating from the French minister on Sudan’s position regarding the ICC.
According to Karti, there are now fresh viewpoints which see ICC issue from the angle of caring for peace in Sudan and the referendum. The minister further added that there were new signs that the UN Security Council could reconsider its position on the matter,
The ICC’s proceedings against Al-Bashir can be suspended for up to one year renewable if members of the UN Security Council agreed to invoke article 16 of the Rome Statue, which provides for such deferral.
One French observer told Sudan Tribune it is highly unlikely that France would change its position on the ICC. However, he said it is possible for France to help Sudan’s efforts to relieve debts but this would also be contingent on a number of conditions, including a solution to Darfur conflict, smooth referendum on south Sudan independence and a recommendation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Karti said Sudan has managed to elicit a commitment from France to help efforts to relieve its foreign debts with the EU. He said that France had promised to move on Sudan’s foreign debts in the next few days.
Sudan has long been engaged in frantic diplomatic efforts to relieve its foreign debt which, according to official records, stands at $35.7 billion, a little less of which is the original amount borrowed whereas the rest is divided between interest and late payment penalties.
IMF’s forecasts show that Sudan’s external debts are projected to reach $37.8 billion in 2010.
Sudan is complaining that political discord with the West has prevented it from joining the debt relief program known as the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC), which provides insolvent countries with low-interest loans to reduce external debts.
(ST)
Young Nation
ICC issue dominates talks of Sudan FM in Paris
Dear forum mates!
The issue of ICC arrests of Northern Sudanese political and military leaders is un-negotiable. It is true that both internal and external observers of Sudanese political phenomenon feel that, the recent indictment by the ICC tribunal judges on North Sudanese President Omar Hassan as Sudan’s chief executive and commander in chief of North Sudan’s arm forces, plus some of his military and civilian cabinets should be relieved especially after North Sudan vowed to accept South Sudan referendum outcome on secession. Like most Sudanese, I loudly say no to this proposal because doing so violates the rights of murdered civilians in Western Sudan. Omar and dozen of his government officials must face the cause of Law. Interesting to allude to is the fact that, the arrest of North Sudan’s President has absolutely no link whatsoever with the political developments in the South (including conduct of petition vote). If so, he would have already gone to prison for his tremendous war crimes in South since he acended to power on June 30th 1989. Serious war crimes in Darfur including genocide on members of Fur, Zagawa and other vulnerable African communities was the main reason for Luis Ocampo’s sereve judgement on members of Northern Sudan government officials. This clearly has nothing to do with South Sudan referendum as alluded to above.
However, the Internation Community comprasing of AU, EU, US, UN, IGAD, AL, various Asian fora and various other international players should ONLY, and I mean ONLY lobby for the forgiveness of Sudan minor sins such as debt relievement, removal of Nortn Sudan from the list sponsor of terrorism e.t.e. This is the only way our global world could meaningfully sympatheze with North Sudan and compensate for the damages including massive lost of lives and properties in Darur, otherwise lobbying for Omar removal from the list of ICC criminals means nil justice toward the people of Darfur.
Young Nation is a graduate of International Relations and a student of Master of International Law at Sydney University, Australia