While ICC Pursues Arrest of Sudanese President Al-Bashir, Netanyahu and Other Israeli War Criminals Travel Free

June 15, 2015 

Editor's Note:

Israeli leaders have been committing war crimes and crimes against humanity since 1948, against the Palestinian people, but without being prosecuted or pursued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) or by other world governments!

However, Arab and Muslim leaders have been subjected to assassinations, coups, invasions, and ICC prosecutions.

 In the case of the Sudanese President, Omar Al-Basheer, the Zionists have been involved in the Darfur region secessionist insurrection, which is supported by Zionists for the region's wealth in minerals, oil, and uranium.

Addressing war crimes and crimes against humanity should apply to all war criminals, particularly the Israeli war criminals. Otherwise, the ICC efforts are only selective to serve the Israeli war criminals in their quest to control the Middle East and its vast resources, reaching the establishment of their regional empire from the Nile to the Euphrates.

 

Sudanese President, Omar Al-Bashir, returns to Khartoom from South Africa, after ICC attempt to have him arrested.

 

البشير يعود إلى الخرطوم

نشر بتاريخ: 15 حزيران/يونيو 2015

وصل الرئيس عمر البشير، عصر الإثنين، إلى الخرطوم بعد مشاركته في قمة الاتحاد الأفريقي الخامسة والعشرون والتي عقدت بعاصمة جنوب أفريقيا جوهانسبيرج، ووُصفت مشاركته في القمة بأنها تحدٍ للمحكمة الجنائية الدولية التي طالبت بتوقيفه هناك. وكانت في استقباله بالمطار حشود شعبية ورسمية.

وقال وزير الخارجية إبراهيم غندور، في مؤتمر صحفي بمطار الخرطوم، عقب عودة الرئيس، إن مشاركة البشير كانت طبيعية في القمة، وإن السودان لم يعتد الغياب عن المؤتمرات المهمة.

وأضاف "المحكمة الجنائية تكاد تكون قد تم القضاء عليها تماماً في أفريقيا، من خلال رفض الدول تنفيذ أوامرها".

وأشاد غندور، بموقف حكومة جنوب أفريقيا ورئيسها جاكوب زوما، الذي أعلن رفضه لطلب المحكمة الجنائية بتوقيف البشير وقال إنه ضيف عزيز لديهم وإنهم فخورون بمشاركته.

مشاركة طبيعية وقال إن مشاركة السودان في القمة كان يمكن أن تكون طبيعية وبلا ضوضاء، لو لا تحركات بعض من أسماهم "أعداء أفريقيا" الذين حاولوا أن يجعلوا منها "دراما" لحجب الرئيس من المشاركة في القمة.

 وأشار غندور إلى محاولة بعض المحاكم في جنوب أفريقيا، اتخاذ قرارات للتشويش على المشاركة، بعد تمسك السودان بممارسة حقه في حضور القمة.

ونوّه إلى أن المجلس الوزاري لقمة جوهانسبيرج، أجاز مشروع قرار حول المحكمة الجنائية يدعم قرار القمة السابق، ويدعو للاتصال مباشرة بالأمم المتحدة ومجلس الأمن الدولي، من أجل إرجاع إحالة ملف السودان  إلى المحكمة الجنائية من مجلس الأمن وإلغاء قرار الإحالة.

وأوضح غندور أن  القرار يتضمن تكوين فريق من ست دول للتواصل مع مجلس الأمن والأمم المتحدة والأمين العام، وسيحال للقمة ليُعتمد مع القرارات الأخرى.

شبكة الشروق

http://www.sudanile.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=84992:2015-06-15-17-24-04&catid=42:6-5-3-1-4-9-0&Itemid=60

 

Sudan's al-Bashir returns to Khartoum after AU summit in S. Africa amid ICC arrest warrant controversy

KHARTOUM, June 15, 2015 (Xinhua) --

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir returned to Khartoum on Monday after he attended an African Union (AU) summit in South Africa, where a court issued an order to stop him from leaving the country on an arrest warrant against the Sudanese leader by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Hundreds of Sudanese citizens gathered at the yard of Khartoum airport to receive the Sudanese leader, who was also received by First Vice President Bakri Hassan Saleh and a number of senior government officials.

The Sudanese president arrived in South Africa on Saturday to attend the 25th AU summit in Johannesburg, but his trip has sparked a controversy as South Africa is an ICC signatory. The Hague-based court, which issued an arrest warrant against him for allegedly committing war crimes in Sudan's Darfur region in March 2009, urged South Africa to arrest al-Bashir upon his arrival.

On Sunday, a judge at a Pretoria High Court issued an order and decided that the South African government should take steps to prevent the Sudanese leader from leaving the country. Judge Hans Fabricius said al-Bashir should not leave the country until an urgent application to have him arrested has been heard.

Both the ICC and South African human rights groups piled pressure on the government to arrest al-Bashir at the summit.

The African National Congress, South Africa's ruling party, said the government has granted immunity for all summit participants according to the international norms for nations to host gatherings like the AU summit.

The party also asked the South African government to challenge the order issued to compel it to arrest President al-Bashir.

As the president returned, the Sudanese government accused what it termed as "enemies of Africa and Sudan" of masterminding a failed attempt to arrest Bashir in South Africa.

"The participation could have been normal and without clamor, but the enemies of Africa and the enemies of Sudan wanted otherwise and tried to make of it (the participation) a drama to prevent the president from important participations", Ibrahim Ghandour, Sudan's Foreign Minister, told reporters at Khartoum airport upon al-Bashir's return.

He also said that al-Bashir was welcomed by the African continent and its leaders, adding that the "erroneous and deliberate media confusion" would not discourage the president from attending other African activities.

The minister added that al-Bashir's trip to South Africa has declared the "death of the ICC case," noting that the "ICC is almost finished in Africa as all the African countries refuse to implement its decisions."

The relationship between African leaders and ICC has remained tense since 2013 as allegations surfaced that the court was biased against individuals from the continent.

During a special AU summit held in Addis Ababa in June 2013, the newly elected Ethiopian Prime Minister, Haile Mariam Desalegn accused the ICC of "race hunt" for its obsession to prosecute African leaders.

African leaders during their biannual summits have agreed to shield themselves from prosecution at the ICC.

At the latest summit, African leaders were deliberating a proposal which would urge the ICC to suspend all cases against sitting presidents with the United Nations Security Council, conference sources said.

Editor: Mu Xuequan

 

Al-Bashir saga highlights African Leaders' unease with ICC

By Christine Lagat

JOHANNESBURG, June 15, 2015 (Xinhua) --

The drama surrounding the visit by Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir to South Africa despite an arrest warrant against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) points at growing tension between the global court and African leaders.

Al-Bashir on Sunday visited South Africa to attend the African Union (AU) Summit even as the ICC piled pressure on Pretoria to arrest and hand him over to face trial over his alleged involvement in killing and displacement of civilians in the Western Sudan region of Darfur.

The Sudanese leader's presence at the AU Summit in Johannesburg created a buzz as the host country grappled with a tricky diplomatic dilemma.

Earlier on Sunday, a South African court issued a directive to the SA Ministry of Home Affairs to prevent al-Bashir from leaving the country until determination of his case on Monday.

Both the ICC and South African human rights groups piled pressure on the government to arrest al-Bashir during the AU summit.

Campaigners argued that South Africa has an obligation to hand over prime suspects since it is a signatory to the Rome Statue that created the ICC in 2002.

Al-Bashir put a brave face as he graced the opening ceremony of the AU Summit while the host government remained tight lipped on whether to honor the ICC's request.

A section of South African political leadership was quoted by local media as having expressed their displeasure on the conduct of the Hague-based court.

They argued that the ICC had no authority to order sovereign states to arrest democratically elected African leaders.

Even as SA judges insisted on Monday that a court order barring Sudanese leader from leaving South Africa remained in force, government lawyers vehemently opposed this ruling.

Unconfirmed reports indicated that al-Bashir had left South Africa by mid-morning on Monday despite the court order barring him to do so.

The Sudanese Information Minister Ahmed Bilal Osman told leading news agencies that al-Bashir would be arriving in Khartoum in a matter of hours.

African leaders attending the biannual summit appeared calm and focussed despite the frenzy created by international media over al- Bashir's whereabouts.

The relationship between African leaders and ICC has remained tense since 2013 as allegations surfaced that the court was biased against individuals from the continent.

During a special AU summit held in Addis Ababa in June 2013, the newly elected Ethiopian Prime Minister, Haile Mariam Desalegn accused the ICC of "race hunt" for its obsession to prosecute African leaders.

African leaders during their biannual summits have agreed to shield themselves from prosecution at the ICC.

The ICC in 2009 indicted al-Bashir for crimes against humanity and later issued a warrant of arrest against him.

Since 2010, al-Bashir has restricted his travels abroad to avoid arrest and has only made brief visits to friendly nations in Asia, Middle East and Africa.

Analysts who spoke to Xinhua condemned the ICC's biased and unilateral approach to address crimes against humanity in Africa.

The Director of the London-based Africa Research Center David Hoile said ICC has lost credibility and trust in Africa because of its imperialist and racist tendencies.

"Africa leaders have lost faith in the ICC since it is no longer living up to its founding ideals. It has acted like a tool for major powers in their quest to dominate the world," Hoile told Xinhua

He stressed that ICC has no mandate to prosecute al-Bashir since Khartoum is not signatory to the Rome Statute.

The ICC will have a herculean task as it tries to prosecute African leaders over their alleged involvement in serious crimes.

Hoile noted the court is often perceived as a neocolonial entity in many parts of Africa hence its inability to win hearts and minds of leaders and their subjects.

"At its establishment in 2002, ICC was tasked with tackling injustices without fear or favor. The court has however ignored grave crimes committed in the rich north and has only pursued African cases," said Hoile.

He regretted that the European Union has profound influence on decisions taken by the ICC since it provides two thirds of funding to the court.

Failure by the ICC to arrest al-Bashir during his South African trip is seen as a victory on African sovereignty.

Hoile emphasized that an alternative and home-grown court was required to handle African cases.

"Leaders must fast-track the establishment of an African court with prosecutorial powers to independently handle cases emanating from this region," Hoile said.

Editor: Mu Xuequan

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