Ugandan government sued for failure to arrest Bashir

July 6, 2016 (KAMPALA) – A Ugandan has petitioned the Constitutional court over government’s failure to arrest Sudanese President when he visited the country in May.

Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir, who was indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, was one of the dignitaries at President’s Yoweri Museveni’s inauguration in Kampala.

According to The Observer , Brian Serius, in a petition filed on July 7, 2016, says upon being invited by Uganda, al-Bashir attended Museveni’s swearing in on 12 May.

The invitation, he said, contravened Uganda’s obligations under article 89 of the Rome Statute, which obligates member states to cooperate by arresting and surrendering indicted persons to the court.

The petitioner wants the Constitutional court to issue a permanent injunction restraining government from doing further acts that violate and undermine Uganda’s duties and obligations under the Rome statute.

During the May 12 occasion, representatives of the United States and European Union countries walked out on Museveni’s inauguration ceremony at Kololo ceremonial grounds because the Sudanese leader was in attendance of the same event.

In May, a group of human rights activists called on the Uganda government to do what South Africa did not, by arresting the Sudanese President should he visit the country.

(ST)