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South Africa Maintain Arrest Warrant
Against al-Bashir Undermine The Hague
And Its Purpose |
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July 15, 2008
Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir over allegations he
masterminded genocide in Darfur is never going to be
implemented, South Africa said on Tuesday.
"This action will take months but even if it is granted, what
happens?" Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad told reporters.
"You can't arrest [al-]Bashir. Who's going to arrest him?"
International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo
on Monday asked the court for an arrest warrant for al-Bashir,
accusing him of running a campaign of genocide that has killed
35 000 people and forced 2,5-million to flee their homes in
Sudan's western region.
Three ICC judges will now examine the application to decide
whether there are sufficient grounds for issuing a warrant,
which could take several months.
Pahad said South Africa, which has about 900 troops serving as
peacekeepers in Darfur, wanted to help strengthen the court but
added it was "important for the ICC to take action that does not
undermine its very important role".
The chairperson of the African Peace and Security Council has
already expressed concern about this action and said they don't
think it will contribute to long term peace in Darfur. We will
be driven by that," he said.
Protests
In Khartoum, the United Nations told its staff to stay at home
as thousands of Sudanese rallied in support of al-Bashir.
Sudan's Vice-President, Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, called the ICC's
move "irresponsible, illegal and unprofessional".
China, a main investor in Sudan's oil industry and Khartoum's
biggest arms supplier, also criticised the move.
"China expresses grave concern and misgivings about the
International Criminal Court prosecutor's indictment of the
Sudanese leader," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Liu
Jianchao said at a regular news conference in Beijing.
"The ICC's actions must be beneficial to the stability of the
Darfur region and the appropriate settlement of the issue, not
the contrary," Liu said.
China now faces difficult choices over its relationship with al-Bashir
just as the Beijing Olympics opens a soft spot for international
pressure.
In Khartoum, thousands of Sudanese rallied outside a United
Nations office in the Sudanese capital, some on horses, in
support of al-Bashir, a former army general who came to power in
a coup in 1989. They chanted "Ocampo is a criminal".
The protests, which began on Sunday, have been staged by
pro-government bodies but even Sudanese who traditionally oppose
al-Bashir have backed him against The Hague-based ICC.
Sudan has reassured international workers it will ensure their
safety, but the United Nations raised security levels in
Khartoum and Darfur ahead of The Hague court's announcement,
fearing a violent backlash.
Families have been evacuated from Khartoum and non-essential
staff moved out of Darfur. |
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Source:
esinislam.com
+ Agencies |
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