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Sudan slams remarks by US official on Bashir arrest warrant

September 10, 2008 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government reacted angrily to statements by the US Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad in which he said that he expects the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant next month for Sudanese President Omer Hassan al-Bashir.

Sudan's Ambassador to the United Nations Abdel-Mahmood Abdel-Haleem (C) speaks to members of the media outside of the United Nations Security Council (AFP)
Sudan’s Ambassador to the United Nations Abdel-Mahmood Abdel-Haleem (C) speaks to members of the media outside of the United Nations Security Council (AFP)
The Egyptian Middle-East news agency (MENA) quoted the US Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad as saying that the ICC judges may make a ruling on the request for an arrest warrant by mid-October.

Khalilzad said the judges will likely endorse charges against Al-Bashir but added that it may not include the counts of genocide.

The US diplomat further said that Ocampo’s request against Al-Bashir may be a “maneuver” to force Khartoum to hand over two suspects already charged by the ICC last year.

Sudan’s envoy to the UN Abdel-Mahmood Abdel-Haleem told the independent Al-Sahafa newspaper that “he hopes Khalilzad was misquoted by the agency”.

“The US ambassador knows where the real criminals are and who needs to go to court” Abdel-Haleem said in reference to the US invasion of Iraq.

The Sudanese diplomat further said that any compromise involving handing over the two Darfur war crimes suspects to ICC in return to freezing Al-Bashir’s indictment “is cheap blackmailing not tolerated by Sudan’s morals and culture”.

A political analyst with a think-tank group in Washington described Khalilzad statements as “stupid”.

“All he [Khalilzad] did was provide the Sudanese government with ammo to prove that the ICC is influenced by the US administration” the analyst told Sudan Tribune on condition of anonymity.

The Sudanese government has long claimed that Ocampo’s intention to indict Al-Bashir was leaked by the US State Department spokesperson Sean McCormack which they saw as evidence linking the two parties.

The Washington Post was the first to break the news on July 11th quoting UN diplomats. Ocampo later said that revealed the info to in order for the UN to take precautionary measures to protect their operations in Sudan.

When McCormack was asked by reporters on the same day to confirm the report he responded by saying that “it’s not my intention to confirm anything of the sort. As a matter of fact, the ICC – the United States doesn’t have anything to do with the ICC. So certainly, we wouldn’t be the ones to be confirming anything”.

Kamal Obeid a leading figure in the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) said that Khalilzad proved “the US role behind Ocampo’s decisions”.

“This exposes the suspicions of the US coordination with the ICC” he added.

The US has a long standing opposition to the ICC and threatened to veto resolution 1593 referring Darfur case to the ICC adopted in March 2005 but eventually bent down to domestic and international pressure and abstained from voting.

(ST)

8 Comments

  • Mabor Adut Mayor
    Mabor Adut Mayor

    Sudan slams remarks by US official on Bashir arrest warrant
    I wanted to tell the world that Sudan is belong to black people and Africa as whole therefore her case have to be settle by African respectives leaders before it reached to American and Arabs table.
    I hereby request president Besir to promote a culture of peace in Sudan which can enable the full realization of human potential,leading to self actualization and en joyment of human right with out hinderance. this calls for respect for others,absent of pysical,spiritual and psychologically war,the equal distribution of power and resource,tolerance and co-exsistance.Despite the fact that you have been charged for the murderer and genocide which result to your indictment by ICC, so can you please try to call back your troops and this will act the pardon of forgiveness by the world as well as the on going war in Darfur is termed to be genocide and itis in fact right. Not only western Sudan but the ended war in Southern Sudan was also genocide and it can,t be encounted on Bashir.
    To go further Sudan is a country where two or more people, communities,states are in disagreement. it is a disruption of normal desirable social interaction, adysfunction states of social interest of those inauthority or certain group in a society and rigid social structures for instance in a one party state there will a rise and the need for people to express themselves in other ways and the one party doesn,t allowed automatically this grievences might occure.

    Reply
  • Tariel
    Tariel

    Sudan slams remarks by US official on Bashir arrest warrant
    Mabor,please,the arrest awarrant for Bashir will bring nothing on your little salary you earns in Juba so totally keep away from complicated international politics otherwise it will make you run mad!

    Reply
  • Gatdelha
    Gatdelha

    Sudan slams remarks by US official on Bashir arrest warrant
    What did Mabor said that offended you guys!!!!!

    From the people reaction it seems as if Mr. Mr. Mabor has denied the genocide committed by Bashir in Darfur or Southern Sudan, he was just saying that our problems should be solved by us! And he went on urging al. Bashir to call off or redeploy his troops from southern Sudan and Darfur!

    Guys let us accommodate other opinions that oppose ours, we can’t always be uniform in thinking simply because we are different individually, Mr. Mabor didn’t say anything that worth this condemnation, he was saying his opinion and nothing else .

    Reply
  • Gatdelha
    Gatdelha

    Sudan slams remarks by US official on Bashir arrest warrant
    correction!!!!!!!!!!!

    What did Mabor say that offended you guys!!!!!

    From the people reaction it seems as if Mr.Mabor has denied the genocide committed by Bashir in Darfur or Southern Sudan, but to my surprise, he he was just saying that our problems should be solved by us! And he went on urging al. Bashir to call off or redeploy his troops from southern Sudan and Darfur!

    Guys let us accommodate other opinions that oppose ours, we can’t always be uniform in thinking simply because we are different individually, Mr. Mabor didn’t say anything that worth this condemnation, he was saying his opinion and nothing else .

    Reply
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