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 |  Subject: ANCAPS Good News: Bashir charged with Darfur genocide  Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:52 pm | |
| Omar al-Bashir, the Sudan-ese president, has been formally charged with genocide in Darfur by the prosecutor of the Inter-national Criminal Court, a move that threatens to cause further instability in Sudan and puts the ICC's credibility on the line.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the ICC's chief prosecutor, said he could no longer "stay silent" over the campaign of murder, rape and displacement being carried out in Sudan's Darfur region, where about 300,000 people have been killed and 2.5m forced from their homes since 2003, according to United Nations estimates.
A total of 10 charges have been filed against the president: three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of -murder.
The indictment, which was widely trailed, was met with anger and indignation by the Khartoum government, which has not recognised the court and has -characterised the charges as evidence of a western conspiracy to remove Mr Bashir from power.
The move has split opinion among politicians and diplomats outside the country: some applaud the ICC's pursuit of justice at the highest level but others fear it could kill off any chance of ending the Darfur conflict by negotiation with the government.
Darfur, in the west of Sudan, has been racked by violence since rebels seeking a greater share of power and wealth launched an insurgency five years ago. It triggered aerial bombardment and attacks by Arab militia groups sponsored by the government.
Mr Moreno-Ocampo said Mr Bashir had masterminded and implemented a plan to destroy three Darfur tribes seen to be challenging the province's marginalisation. "His motives were largely political. His alibi was a 'counterinsurgency'. His intent was genocide,"
he said in a statement. He asked ICC judges to issue an arrest warrant for Mr Bashir and their ruling is expected in one to three months.
Ali al-Sadiq, a Sudanese foreign ministry spokesman, said: "The ICC indictment of the president has completely disregarded the efforts undertaken by the government, the regional powers and the international community [on Darfur]."
Some Darfur experts say the indictments risk creating a siege mentality within the Khartoum regime that prevents any form of productive engagement aimed at bringing peace to Darfur.
The African Union said: "The AU's position is that nothing should be done that might jeopardise the peace processes in Sudan."
But Sudan activists say resorting to the ICC was a necessary step, since the efforts of the inter-national community - encompassing sanctions, peace processes and a joint UN-AU peacekeeping force - have yielded few positive results.
Staff at the UN, which the Sudanese regime views as the ICC's master, had feared the indictments would trigger reprisals. But those fears receded on Monday as a government spokesman said the UN and its peacekeepers would not be expelled and Khartoum would actively seek to protect them.
The streets of the capital remained calm before and after the announcement of the indictment, but one student leader said a large demonstration was being planned for today.
The US is the only country to have said the conflict in Darfur amounts to genocide. Mr Moreno-Ocampo's indictment is likely to put the US on the spot because it has refused to become a member of the ICC over concern that its own citizens might be charged.
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