Warrant issued for the president Sudan al-Bashir

[peace-]

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Sudan's president on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

However, the court stopped short of accusing Omar al-Bashir, who denies the charges, of committing genocide.

Reports say Sudan's capital, Khartoum, was tense as people awaited the decision, with fears of unrest.

The UN estimates some 300,000 people have died and millions been displaced in six years of conflict in the region.

It will not be worth the ink it is written on

President Omar al-Bashir


Profile: Sudan's Omar al-Bashir
Should Omar al-Bashir be arrested?
The spokeswoman for the court in The Hague, Laurence Blairon, said Mr Bashir was suspected of being criminally responsible for "intentionally directing attacks against an important part of the civilian population of Darfur, Sudan, murdering, exterminating, raping, torturing and forcibly transferring large numbers of civilians and pillaging their property".

She said the violence in Darfur was the result of a common plan organised at the highest level of the Sudanese government, but there was no evidence of genocide.

The court would transmit as soon as possible to the government of Sudan a request for his arrest and surrender, she added.

'Toothless'

Speaking on Tuesday ahead of the expected announcement, Mr Bashir said the tribunal at The Hague could "eat" the arrest warrant.

He said it would "not be worth the ink it is written on" and danced for thousands of cheering supporters who burned an effigy of the ICC chief prosecutor.




Sudan expert Alex de Waal told the BBC the indictment is "pretty toothless" as the ICC does not have a police force and the warrant will be delivered to Sudan's government, which is unlikely to execute it.

There is heavy security in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, and large pro-Bashir demonstrations are expected.

There is also a strong feeling in the city - albeit seldom openly expressed - in support of an indictment, says the BBC's Peter Martell in Khartoum.

The war crimes court has already issued two arrest warrants - in 2007 - for Sudanese Humanitarian Affairs Minister Ahmed Haroun and the Janjaweed militia leader Ali Abdul Rahman. Sudan has refused to hand them over.

Reacting to the news, a Sudanese presidential adviser dismissed the charges, telling state television that it was part of a "neo-colonialism" plan, Reuters news agency reported.

It is the ICC's first ever warrant issued against a sitting head of state.

ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo had requested that the court issue a warrant for Mr Bashir's arrest in July 2008.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7923102.stm

[kambuli]

Kibir.com

[abdikarim86]

can they do that

[Ni Hao]

Where is CY's warant?

Talk about injustice.

[American-Suufi]

they should issue warrants for george bush and tony blair and charge them with war crimes and crimes against humanity. africans should rise up.

[The_Emperior5]

can they do that

ninkan cumar al bashir ciidna uma joojio man Wa halyey qarbiyunto waxay ka xunyihin hormarku oo ghaadhay. dawladu oo dhisay and his people love him i wish our people would have such a leader

[Twisted_Logic]

Sudan will be better off without this incompetent leader

[sheekh-Farax-zero]

so is he going to Guantanamo

[Ina Baxar]

I support Omar Al Bashir.
When these people are willing to indicte :
Meles Zenawi , CY, and Georges Bush then maybe I will change my mind

[AbdiWahab252]

Ina baxar,

The ICC is a court for all nonWestern criminals

[admin]

interesting read : http://www.iccnow.org/?mod=usaicc maybe Bush knew exactly what he was gonna do...

[shaamboo]

if this UN sht is a valid one they should start issuing one to G . W Bush`s admin including WOlfwitz and Carl row

untill they cant do that i give them 2 fingers

[Cawar]

Arabs in general deserve all the punishment they are receiving from the west..under whatever name it comes..

[Abmn]

Muslim countries should withdraw from the United Nations, International Court and similar institutions that serve the West. I'm sure the coming Islamic Caliphate will do that, insha'Allah.