| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa Horn |
| ICC undermining Darfur peace talks, says Sudan |
| 2010-02-04 |
| [Iran Press TV Latest] Sudan accuses the International Criminal Court of trying to affect peace talks with Darfur rebels, after it ordered a review on President Omar al-Bashir's genocide charge. "If you look to the time of this process, it shows that the ICC wants to stop the political development in Sudan," Sudanese State Minister for Information Kamal Obeid was quoted by AFP as saying on Wednesday. Dang them and their insouciant insistence on this thing called 'justice' ... The news comes after the ICC reversed the ruling that there was insufficient proof to charge al-Bashir with genocide in Darfur. Khartoum says the ICC's move on the genocide charge is politically-motivated and is aimed at stopping democratic elections in Sudan, scheduled to be held on April 11. "The ICC wants to impact the political process in Sudan and the ongoing negotiations in Doha," Obeid added, referring to consultations with Darfur rebels in Qatar. The ICC's pre-trial chamber will now have to rule on whether to add genocide to the list of charges brought against the president. The indictment against Bashir already includes seven counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed in Sudan's western Darfur region. This is the first-ever arrest warrant issued for a sitting president. Bashir, who came to power in a 1989 military coup, is to stand in the April election. Nine candidates will challenge him. |
| Posted by:Fred |