Sudan Darfur trials can evade Hague court – Egypt
CAIRO, April 6 (Reuters) – Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said on Wednesday Sudanese war crimes suspects need not go to the International Criminal Court (ICC) because Sudan’s judiciary could try the accused at home.
The U.N. Security Council for the first time last week referred suspects accused of carrying out war crimes in Darfur to the ICC in The Hague. Egypt has spoken against the “internationalisation” of the Darfur conflict.
“The International Criminal Court … issues accusations but if the internal judiciary in the country concerned plays its role then it negates the need for the criminal court,” Aboul Gheit said after meeting his Sudanese counterpart in Cairo.
“If there appears to be any reluctance (to prosecute), manoeuvring or attempt to dodge these accusations then in this case the International Court will make a move against the accused,” Aboul Gheit added.
U.N. Security Council diplomats in New York said the ICC had stepped because Sudan had failed to prosecute those responsible for mass crimes against civilians.
The Hague-based court, set up to prosecute only the top perpetrators of heinous crimes, will carry out its own investigation into the 51 suspects listed by a U.N. commission. It is not expected to pursue more than a dozen suspects.
“The ICC is mandated to prosecute those most responsible,” said Richard Dicker, counsel for Human Rights Watch. “The arrest of local level accused in no way replaces the ICC. To date we have not seen any serious indication by the Sudanese to look for those most responsible.”
Khartoum has said it would refuse to hand over its citizens to face justice abroad. It says it has already arrested 15 members of the military and security forces for crimes including rape, killing civilians and burning villages in Darfur.
Rebels who launched a revolt in Sudan’s vast western region in early 2003 say they welcome the decision to refer the suspects to the ICC.
Egypt has called a five-way summit of African leaders in Sharm el-Sheikh between April 18-19 to give the African Union a chance to deal with the crisis.