South African govt agencies were prepared to arrest Sudan’s Bashir
during AU summit: report
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June 21, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – South African government agencies drafted
plans to apprehend Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir during his
participation in the African Union (AU) summit should the High Court
issue an order to this effect, according to a news report.
JPEG - 32.5 kb
Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir as they pose for
photographers ahead of the African Union summit in Johannesburg June
14, 2015 (REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko)
Bashir’s attendance drew widespread controversy both inside and
outside South Africa given his status as an individual wanted by the
International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes, crimes against
humanity and genocide allegedly committed in Darfur since 2003.
South Africa, as an ICC member, was theoretically obliged to arrest
Bashir but chose not to on the grounds that he enjoys immunity as one
of the delegations attending the AU summit.
The government also defied a local judge order asking it to prevent
the Sudanese leader from leaving the country until a case brought by
Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) to compel the arrest Bashir
was heard.
But this order was also ignored by president Jacob Zuma’s cabinet and
Bashir managed to fly out few hours before the North Gauteng High
Court dismissed government’s immunity arguments and ordered his arrest
to surrender him to the ICC.
Government then suggested that Bashir left the country without their
knowledge. Per court orders they are required to submit an affidavit
next week detailing how Bashir was allowed to return home.
A newspaper report published on Sunday however, suggested that several
government agencies were readying to take Bashir into custody.
South Africa’s City Press said that a text message was sent at 6:15 pm
local time to National Joint Operations (NATJOINTS) which is comprised
of intelligence and security bodies.
“Re Sudan court order. All respective committees at NATJOINTS
[National Joint Operations] were given tasks to come up with ops plans
by 08:00 tomorrow morning,” the message reads in part.
“If an order is given to arrest Sudanese HoS. [al-Bashir] DHA DG
[Department of Home Affairs Director-General] who is currently in
court with the litigation personnel will give an instruction
thereafter as to what needs to happen. BCOCC [border control
operational coordinating committee] will have to ensure that that
instruction is given to all ports of entry tonight whilst we are
waiting upon DHA instruction.”
"The Home Ministry’s Director General is currently in court with the
lawyers and he will instruct on what should happen,".
It is not clear who gave the order to government security agencies to
hold back on their operational plans so the Sudanese president could
slip out of South Africa safely.
Insiders involved in making the arrangements said the movement
schedule, which the department of international relations sends out
daily, showed that the department had not been consulted in the
“escape plan” or that another department had taken over the
arrangements for al-Bashir’s movements. It is not clear which
department that is.
City Press said that the operational documentation for the AU summit
showed that Bashir left a day earlier.
Bashir was scheduled to take off from O. R. Tambo International
Airport on Tuesday June 16 at 11:00 am but ended up leaving from
Waterkloof military airbase shortly before noon on Monday June 15.
City Press further said that Bashir’s security detail requested five
extra pieces of weaponry in anticipation of any arrest attempt.
“5 firearms and 70 ammunition. They are requesting for 5 additional
firearms” the document reads.
South African border police officers stamp such weapons authorizations
upon entry into the country, and again when they leave.
South Africa’s Sunday Times said that other parts of the government
including the presidency, defense and police ministry were determined
to protect Bashir’s stay in South Africa - even if it meant flouting
court rulings and undermining the constitution.
A representative of al-Bashir additionally approached Zimbabwe’s
President Robert Mugabe, who currently chairs the AU, and AU
commission chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma – President Zuma’s former wife
– to confirm al-Bashir would not be arrested and handed over to the
ICC.
But as the court case proceeded, Bashir and his entourage started
getting concerned.
The Sunday Times said word had spread that Bashir had been tipped off
that he must leave "because the case did not bode well for him", and
he was escorted by members of the police force’s Presidential
Protection Unit to his plane at a military air base.
“When people were making noise on Sunday that he must be arrested, we
just told Bashir to relax,” a security service source was quoted as
saying.
“We had given him the assurance. We just told him he was going home
and we would deal with the court later,” the source added.
Another source said that senior government ministers at an AU summit
gala dinner “were gloating on how they are going to teach the judges a
lesson by secretly arranging for Bashir to leave before the matter is
heard in court.”
(ST)
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Kind regards,
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22 June 06:42, by dinkdong
If South Africans gov’t was prepared to arrest Bashir during the
AU Summit, so why didn’t they do so? Bunch of liars!
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