Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Khartoum (Agenzia Fides) - “We have no word of the incidents or the violence against foreign presence in Sudan, nor against the Church; there are only various demonstrations taking place in the streets of Khartoum, in support for the President and in protest of the International Crime Court and the United Nations,” Agenzia Fides sources from the local Church in Khartoum, Sudan's capital, said on the day after an arrest warrant was issued by the International Crime Court for Sudan's President Omar Hassan al Bashir.
“In the most important meeting, in the Martyr's Square, the President participated along with the other important members of the government. The President firmly declared that he does not intend to respect the decree for his detention, because Sudan does not recognize the authority of the International Crime Court, as it is not included in the Treaty of Rome that instituted it. The President also mentioned that he intends to respect all international commitments beginning with the upcoming African-Arab Countries Summit,” Fides sources said. The Sudanese government has expelled several international Non-Government Organizations, claiming that the local authorities are not prepared to guarantee their security. Sudan's Foreign Affairs Minister has convoked a meeting of the diplomatic corps tomorrow, to communicate the official position of the Sudanese government.
Yesterday, March 4, the International Crime Court in the Hague ordered the arrest of the President, on accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur, the western region of Sudan that since 2003 has been engaged in a civil war leading to at least 300,000 deaths and the flight of over 2 million people.
However, the accusations of genocide were not accepted, as the majority in the House of Judges did not approve. The Court, for its part, has considered five accusations of crimes against humanity as “founded” (murder, extermination, forced relocation, torture, and rape) and for two war crimes (intentional attacks on civilians and sacking). The accusation was presented by Argentinean Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Campo. The arrest warrant took immediate effect and the court has asked the Sudanese government and the international community to collaborate in the execution of the warrant, so that Bashir may be imprisoned while his case is opened.
The international community is divided over the arrest warrant, the first ever issued for an acting President. While the Western countries support the decision of the International Crime Court, the Arab League, the African Union, China, and Russia are showing reservations. In particular, the Council of the Arab League has expressed its “great perturbation” and has declared that the arrest warrant “is a serious measure that has not taken into account the immunity of Heads of State, presented in the Vienna Convention of 1961.” The President of the Commission of the African Union, Jean Ping, affirms that he is very concerned about the “consequences” of the International Crime Court's decision, which “has come at a critical moment in the process of trying to promote lasting peace, reconciliation, and a democratic government in Sudan.” (LM) (Agenzia Fides 5/3/2009)
