Arrest Warrant Draws Global Scorn, Bashir Joins Mass Rally

 
Source: Al-Manar TV, 5-2-3009

International, Arab and world outcry was sparked shortly after the International Criminal Court issued the arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. This was considered a precedent against a sitting head of state by the Hague-based ICC.

Bashir defied the decision and Sudan has already said it would not cooperate with the ICC, while the Arab League said it was "very disturbed" by the warrant.

The Sudanese President, however, joined a mass rally in Khartoum on Thursday in protest at the international arrest warrant issued against him for alleged war crimes in Darfur. He dismissed the warrant saying that "the true criminals are the leaders of the United States and Europe".

Thousands of people joined the mass demonstration in Khartoum's Martyrs Square shouting support for Sudan's veteran leader and denouncing ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo.

WARRANT THREATENS STABILITY IN SUDAN
At the meantime, the African Union opened an emergency meeting over the arrest warrant on al-Bashir which it says will hurt an ailing peace process in the troubled country.

Sudan's envoy to the AU told the bloc's emergency meeting at its Addis Ababa headquarters that African states should pull out of the ICC. Mohieldin Ahmed Salim called on "friendly member states to withdraw from Rome Statute" that established the court. He urged the AU's Peace and Security Council meeting to "issue a clear decision in strongest terms to rejecting the ICC decision."

The 53-member body had called for the deferment of the court's action against Bashir and on Wednesday expressed concern at the decision to issue the warrant.

In a statement, the AU Commission chief Jean Ping said he was "deeply concerned at the far-reaching consequences of this decision, which comes at a critical juncture in the process to promote lasting peace...in the Sudan."

Meanwhile, the Organization of Islamic Conference condemned the ICC's decision. The Secretary-General of the Jeddah-based organization Ekmeleddine Ihsanoglu said in a press statement late on Wednesday that such a decision might negatively impact ongoing efforts to solve the crisis in Darfur and could threaten stability in Sudan and the whole region.

He called on the UN Security Council to block the ICC's move and urged the Sudanese government to speed up investigations of war crime suspects and put them on trial.

However, China called for the ICC case against Bashir to be suspended and said it was concerned about an arrest warrant issued for him. "China expresses its regret and worry over the arrest warrant for the Sudan president by the ICC," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said.

Qin called on the UN Security Council to "respect calls by the African Union, Arab League and Non-Aligned Movement... and call on the International Criminal Court not to hear this case for the time being." It has consistently warned that such an arrest warrant could cause further trouble in the war-torn African country. "China is opposed to any action that could interfere with the peaceful situation in Darfur and Sudan," he said in a statement on the foreign ministry's website.

For its part, Iran condemned the arrest warrant. Foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi said the "unfair" warrant was politically motivated. The warrant is a "violation of authority that broke the immunity of countries' statesmen... and is an ugly innovation that is unacceptable for the international community," he was quoted as saying.

In addition to the huge condemnations against the warrant, law experts said Sudan's President is unlikely to see the inside of a courtroom soon.

The court has no powers to enforce the warrant itself, nor can it try Bashir in absentia.

Experts said the UN Security Council resolution that referred the case to the ICC for investigation in March 2005 placed no obligation on states other than Sudan to execute arrest warrants. By its own wording, the resolution merely "urges all states ... to cooperate". The resolution states that Sudan "shall cooperate fully" with the court. So, the legal aspect of this matter remains underdeveloped.