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Sudan: Court Accuses Al-Bashir of Darfur War Crimes


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allAfrica.com

14 July 2008
Posted to the web 14 July 2008

The prosecutor of the newly-established International Criminal Court (ICC) today accused Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir of genocide and war crimes arising out of the war in Darfur.

In a case which puts into sharp focus the sometimes competing demands of international humanitarian law and the political compromises into which states enter to secure peace, the ICC's prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo. presented evidence to the court at its seat in The Hague.

An ICC press release said Moreno-Ocampo had decided after a three-year investigation that "there are reasonable grounds to believe that... [al-Bashir] bears criminal responsibility in relation to 10 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes."

He charged that al-Bashir "masterminded and implemented a plan to destroy in substantial part the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa groups, on account of their ethnicity." When the groups, which were resisting the marginalization of Darfur, rebelled and the government failed to defeat them, the Sudanese president "went after the people."

The ICC quoted Moreno-Ocampo as saying of al-Bashir: "His motives were largely political. His alibi was a 'counterinsurgency.' His intent was genocide."

The prosecution said the Sudanese armed forces and the Janjaweed militia were acting on al-Bashir's orders in their five-year-long campaign of attacking and destroying villages.

Moreno-Ocampo added: "By preventing the truth about the crimes from being revealed; concealing his crimes under the guise of a 'counterinsurgency strategy', or 'inter tribal clashes', or the 'actions of lawless autonomous militia', al-Bashir made possible the commission of further crimes. He promoted and provided impunity to his subordinates in order to secure their willingness to commit genocide."

The prosecutor has asked a pre-trial chamber of the ICC to issue an arrest warrant for al-Bashir.

Relevant Links

Read the ICC's full press release


Read comments. Write your own.
Author: badreldeen88

irrational because newcolonialisim ovrewhelmed whole world with sorrow we want all of them to be judjed faithfully

Author: yajama

The AU should intervene and not allow the new form of colonialism take root in africa.Which president is next?

Author: yolol2001

Bashir is heartless butcher who turns against the people he supposes to protect as their leader; this is the 21st century where tyrannies need to end. This is a good sign for ICC leadership to standup for justice for all. Bashir must face the wound he has ignored far too long A man is born to respect others not depose them as beasts to earn respect to their personal misery.

Author: gishola

This is a precedent seing move by the US and its allies to use the Internatonal criminal court to eliminate the black African countries targeted for the control and pillaging of their natural resources. As pointed out by Inter Press Services (Johannesburg) of Feb. 27, 2008, the civil wars and killings in Sudan was organized and constantly backed by the US that funneled nearly $20m worth of military equipment through Ethiopia, Eritrea and Uganda to the opposition to overthrow the government of President Omar al-Bashir. The goal of the US is to split Sudan as the US... [Read Full Text]

Author: 123abc

Mr or Ms "gishola", I don't know where you are coming from! You talk about Black Africa. Read the fine prints. President Omar al-Bashir doesn't regard himself as a black African. He sees himself as an Arab. He's engaged in ethnic cleansing against indigenous black Africans who live in Darfur. It has become normal to blame the United States and President Bush for every crisis. The ICC move is NOT indictment against a black African leader as you would want us believe, but rather indictment on a man engaged in ethnic cleansing and marginalization against black Africans. Get back to... [Read Full Text]

Author: Pavel Muron

TO Gishola: Who has washed your brain with western and US conspiracy that you talk like that ? You should go either back to the school or visit doctor !!! US is not even member country of ICC !!! Have you ever been in Sudan or have you met Sudanese ? I am working in International Organisation for migration in Bangkok and I see Sudanese refugees every single week and I heard their stories. Facts: 2 milions people died in civil war, 300 000 in last 5 years, 5 mil. refugees in the country where Al-Bashir is president for almost... [Read Full Text]

Author: The Gatekeeper

it seems you have all the answers. Now take this information to the fearles leaders and let them move forward with a plan that does not call for assistance from any Western or European allies. It seems that the Africans leaders are just as selfish and greedy as anybody else. the everyday person in Africa has no real voice. In America a person can have a say by voting or speaking out aganist things they do not like. This is done without fear. Yes America has problems but nothing compared to the African situation. When you read about certain countries... [Read Full Text]

Author: wakanda

Following this multi-year episode of violence causes all of us to feel anxious. Thousands of innocents continue to suffer under this failed regime. Some who have witnessed these proceedings want not to see any connections between the radical regime of President Omar al-Bashir and the tragedy of innocents in Sudan. To allow any further decrease of human rights status of Sudanese minority ethnic groups without legal instruments suggests dysfunction has no natural or legal limits. Focusing on the motives of other states (the West) only explains the degree of threat toward other innocents. The "hysterie" of... [Read Full Text]

Author: Tinber

Once again, the West try to show black and african people that they control us and can divide us, but this time they will fail. Colonialism era is past. Black people in the world are getting more and more aware of our situation. None of those people(ICC,UN or Western Country)cared of the rwandan genocide, Congo(5Millions dead), Apartheid, and so on. Now they try to make us think that they will do justice. We black people are not so stupid. What a cursed people! Always trying to divid people, create war, coup, famine, showing on TV that they save black... [Read Full Text]

Author: gtalyf

So your saying all the innocent people are dying and that somehow George Bush killed them.. Are you justifying their death with stupidity. Are you telling us just let the killing continue. Remember there are blacks in america and one is about to become president.

If you kill innocents they will be at the side of God (Allah)the day of your judgement.


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