AU opposes Kenyan ruling in favour of Bashir’s ICC prosecution ArticleComments (1). Email PrintSave --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Toby Collins December 5, 2011 (LONDON) – The African Union (AU) have reiterated their opposition to the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecution of the president of Sudan, Omer al-Bashir, in light of the political furore surrounding an opposing ruling from a Kenyan court. President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir (Getty/AFP)The AU released a statement on 4 December calling for a cessation of hostilities which began when a Kenyan court called for Bashir’s arrest on 28 November. Despite the Kenyan Foreign Minister describing the court’s ruling as a "judgement in error", Sudan recalled its ambassador from Nairobi and called for the expulsion of his Kenyan counterpart from Khartoum. The court making the ruling which is proving regionally controversial had the case brought before it in 2010 by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) – a human rights non-governmental organisation. “I grant the orders sought [by the ICJ] and direct the minister of internal security to arrest President Bashir should be set foot in Kenya in future," ruled judge Nicholas Ombija. The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) was quick to condemn the actions of the Kenyan court which it said in a statement “puts the fragile peace processes undertaken by IGAD at great risk”. The AU "fully associates" itself with the IGAD line on the matter and the chairperson of the commission of the AU, Jean Ping, calls upon the governments of Sudan and Kenya to “leave no stone unturned to clear any misunderstanding and defuse tension between their two countries.” The ICC is a court which has tried politicians on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Bashir was the first head of state to be issued an arrest warrant while holding power. He is wanted for his part in atrocities committed in Darfur. Signatories of the Rome Statute, upon which the ICC is based, are obliged to enforce its rulings. Kenya is a signatory yet amongst international outcry in August 2010, Bashir travelled to Nairobi unimpeded. However, to some extent the walls are closing in. The ICC threatened to take the case to the UN Security Council when Malawi allowed Bashir entry in October- and in June Bashir trip to China was delayed due to fears that Turkmenistan and Tajikistan would execute the warrant when he travelled through their airspace. (ST) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob?hl=en.
