Sudan’s Bashir is welcome in Uganda if he applies for asylum: minister

April 16, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Uganda would host the ousted Sudanese President al-Bashir in appreciation for his efforts to achieve peace in South Sudan, said Kampala on Tuesday.

“If Omer al-Bashir applies for asylum in Uganda that is a matter that can be considered by the President of Uganda,” Uganda’s Minister for foreign affairs Henry Okello Oryem, told reporters according to the Ugandan Daily Monitor newspaper.

After long years of animosity and accusations of support to rebel groups from both sides, Yoweri Museveni and Omer al-Bashir have become close friends and worked together to bring the warring parties to end the 5-year conflict in South Sudan.

However, it is not clear how Kampala, a signatory to Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) can host the former Sudanese president who is wanted for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.

The minister said that what is important in Sudan nowadays is to respect the aspiration of Sudanese for civilian rule, and called on the military council to respect the will of Sudanese.

(ST)