Sudan has formed a special court to try alleged criminals in its remote Darfur region and its chief judge insisted yesterday it would be independent, amid international pressure for war crimes trials abroad. The president of the court, due to start work on Wednesday, told Reuters he would be ready to try anyone, no matter how senior, and said he would resign if there was any government interference in the court proceedings.
"Nothing that will interfere with our work has ever happened nor will happen and if it ever happens I as a judge will quit the court," Mahmoud Mohamed Saeed Abkam, who is also one of the roving court's three judges, said in an interview.
"Your Honor, I just got a letter for you from Mr. Big."
"Yeah, what's it say?"
"'Shuddup or we'll kill you.'"
"Hokay, I quit!" |
Senior government and military officials, militia and rebel leaders, and foreign army officers are among 51 war crimes suspects on a secret list drawn up by a United Nations-appointed commission of inquiry into the Darfur conflict. |
