South African Government (Pretoria)
Deng Alor Kuol
23 February 2009
press conference
Pretoria — The Sudanese government wants the United Nations Security Council to delay by a year any decision by the International Criminal Court to issue a warrant for the arrest of President Omar al-Bashir on war crimes charges relating to the war in Darfur, the country's foreign minister, Dr. Deng Alor Kuol, told a news conference in Pretoria on February 20.
He was speaking after a meeting with South African foreign minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. Edited excerpts of the relevant sections of the news conference follow:
We also discussed the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its implications. As you know ICC has decided to indict Al-Bashir, President of the Republic of Sudan. This is the first time in history for the sitting Head of State to be indicted by the International Court. We have worked together with South Africa and within the African Union to try to defer the indictment of the President. We have not succeeded but still working, if we can be able to get deferment for the warrant of arrest against President al-Bashir.
The African Union has come up with the resolution on this, talking about the deferment, asking the Security Council to defer this, and also saying that they cannot also condone impunity but also calling on the government of Sudan to bring to justice those people accused of having committed crimes in Darfur.
The position of the AU was arrived at after a very long discussion.
South Africa played a very central role in that. South Africa continues to play a very central role in trying to help the Sudan, for Sudan to get the postponement of the warrant of arrest for at least one year.
Because one year could give Sudan time (inaudible) in Darfur.
So the role of South Africa has been very central and commendable and we really appreciate what South Africa is doing.
Question: You said that you need more time, referring to the ICC indictment, to address issues in Darfur - could you elaborate on that please, as well as on the Qatar meeting?
We are saying we are asking for one year for postponement because this will give us time to work for peace in Darfur which we have already started with one movement. In Darfur we have many movements, more than ten about fifteen. The strongest among them on the ground is JEM. It is JEM that has accepted to sit with the Government to start negotiations with the government. This does not mean that others are not going to be there, we are inviting others to come to the next round to join JEM.
The position of the Government of Sudan is that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement for Darfur is again not for one or two or three organisations but for everybody because if we want peace it should be comprehensive.
That is the position of the Government. Those who responded, the response was overwhelming to our call. Others we are still working, talking to them indirectly through some friends and organisations so that they can come.
The next round is going to be in weeks hopefully. The Doha Agreement, as I said, is an agreement for confidence building it's just the beginning.
When you are fighting a bitter war you need to rebuild confidence between you and the other side. So it's not an agreement that address major issues but an agreement that addresses confidence.
The impact of warrant of arrest issue, if it happens, President al-Bashir is not going to be arrested just like that. He will not be arrested because the Sudanese don't want him arrested because he is inside Sudan and as long as he is inside Sudan and there is no decision by any body to hand him over, he will (inaudible) inside the Sudan.
There will be negative consequences of course for that warrant of arrest but we are still discussing those consequences, what they could be politically. Sudan has a fragile political situation where we have war in Darfur and where we are implementing an agreement between the North and the South and we have to address the longest war in Africa.
So the situation is fragile but we are trying to make sure that the agreement is not fundamentally or negatively impacted on. I cannot exactly tell you much this thing is going to negatively impact on our political situation but definitely it will impact on the political situation.
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