ICC Presses for Prosecution, Handover of al-Bashir

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday pressed for the prosecution of former Sudanese president, Omar al-Bashir, over alleged genocide and crimes against humanity.

ICC’s Chief Prosecutor, Ms Fatou Bensouda, renewed the call while addressing members of the United Nations Security Council at the organisation’s headquarters in New York.

Bensouda urged Sudan’s Transitional Military Council (TMC) to either hand over alBashir to the ICC or prosecute him genuinely at home.

The former president, who is wanted by the ICC on alleged crimes against humanity and genocide, was deposed in a military coup on April 11, after 30 years in office.

al-Bashir denies the charges for which the Hague-based tribunal issued warrants for his arrest in 2009 and 2010.

Bensouda said with the overthrow and arrest of alBashir, “now is the time for the time for the people of Sudan to choose law over impunity” and sure that he faced justice in a law court.

She also called for the transfer or prosecution of four other suspects wanted over the Darfur atrocities.

They include Ahmad Harun, a former state interior minister, and Abdel Raheem Hussein, an ex-Darfur envoy, who have also reportedly been detained in Khartoum.

“Sudan remains under legal obligations to transfer these suspects to the ICC to stand trial unless it can demonstrate to the judges of the ICC that it is willing and able to genuinely prosecute them for these same case,” she said.

The prosecutor said two other suspects, Ali Kushayb and Abdallah Banda, who both led militia groups during the Darfur atrocities – were still “at large”.

She said they should also be arrested and handed over to the ICC soonest.

Acknowledging the “complexity and fluidity of the events unfolding in Sudan”, she called on officials there to help her visit Sudan and the Darfur region “in the very near future to resolve these issues”.

Bensouda flayed the June 3 crackdown on protesters in capital that led to the death of dozens of pro-democracy demonstrators.

“It is imperative that allegations of violence against civilians, including sexual and gender-based violence, are promptly and effectively investigated by the Sudanese authorities, and that those responsible are brought to justice,” Bensouda said.