France challenges United States on Sudan trials

By Evelyn Leopold

UNITED NATIONS, March 23 (Reuters) – France challenged the United States on Wednesday by introducing a resolution that would refer perpetrators of atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region to the International Criminal Court that Washington rejects.

Jean-Marc de La Sablière, the Permanent Representative of France to the UN .

The French draft would also exclude nationals of any state that had not ratified the treaty setting up the Hague-based court, such as American citizens, from prosecution in any operation in Sudan.

The United States decided on Tuesday to split its draft resolution on Sudan into three parts, with only a 10,000 strong peacekeeping force for southern Sudan fairly certain of approval. But the main provisions for the Darfur conflict in the west of Sudan — sanctions and a venue to try war crimes suspects — face opposition.

Security Council members are expected to negotiate throughout the day before voting on any of the resolutions.

“It is clear there is very broad support for the peacekeeping resolution and that is very very critical because it will strengthen the new government in Sudan and get more boots on the ground,” said the acting U.S. ambassador, Anne Patterson. “We were literally running out of time on Sudan and we felt strongly that we had to move ahead,” she said.

The U.S. resolution on where to try perpetrators of atrocities includes a number of choices the council would discuss later.

Most council members support the new International Criminal Court in The Hague but it is unknown how strongly they will oppose the Bush administration, which has proposed a new U.N.-Africa Union tribunal few countries support.

To complicate issues, Nigeria, president of the African Union, has suggested a special panel to hear cases and foster reconciliation.

The International Criminal Court, the world’s first permanent tribunal for war crimes, mass human rights violations and genocide, was recommended as the best place to try Darfur suspects by an inquiry commission requested by the council.

Washington fears its officials abroad could be targets of the new court. Nine of 15 council members have ratified the treaty creating the court — Britain, France, Brazil, Greece, Denmark, Argentina, Romania, Tanzania and Benin.

The Security Council can refer a case to the court even if the nation involved, like Sudan, is not a signatory.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the 2-year-old rebellion against the government in Darfur over power and resources. Thousands are dying every month in miserable camps that house the almost 2 million people who have fled their homes after attacks from Arab militia, at times backed by the Khartoum government.

The peacekeeping resolution would authorize a 10,000-strong peacekeeping force in southern Sudan to monitor an agreement that ended a 21-year civil war between Khartoum and southern rebels. That accord calls for power-sharing in both the army and government.

The second resolution would impose a stiffer arms embargo on Darfur and initiate sanctions against human rights violators and those who jeopardize a cease-fire in the region. Russia and China, which have veto power, as well as Algeria and possibly other nations object to some of those measures.