OMAR AL-BASHIR, the Sudanese president, returned to his home country last night as international rights groups condemned the “shocking failure” of South Africa to heed a court order to arrest him over alleged war crimes.
Mr Bashir, who is subject to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, was escorted from the African Union conference in Johannesburg to the country’s main air base in Pretoria by the police and his flight given clearance to leave just before midday.
His departure came despite an interim order by a panel of South African high court judges that he remain in the coun- try until a final decision was made on whether he should be arrested.
Hours earlier, the state’s lawyer had assured the judges that Mr Bashir, who is wanted for complicity over the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people in Darfur, would not leave until the summit was over.
William Mokhari said all ports of entry had been alerted to the court order, including Waterkloof Air Force Base where most heads of state from the 54member African Union had landed.
When photographs of Mr Bashir’s plane taking off emerged shortly after midday, Mr Mokhari told the judges that the flight manifest did not have the president on the passenger list.
He confirmed Mr Bashir was on his way home and promised a “full investigation” by state security as to how he was able to leave.
Netsanet Belay, from Amnesty International, said South Africa had “ridden roughshod over the rights and hopes” of those seeking justice in Darfur.