Crime News
ICC Calls For Arrest Of Sudanese President Omar Bashir After South Africa Banned Him From Leaving Over War Crime
June 14, 2015 – ICC Calls For Arrest Of Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir After South Africa Banned Him From Leaving Over War Crime, Genocide
A South African court on Sunday issued a temporary ban on Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir leaving the country after the International Criminal Court called for him to be arrested at a summit in Johannesburg.
Bashir, who is wanted over alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in the Darfur conflict, mostly travels to countries that have not joined the ICC, but South Africa is a signatory of the court’s statutes.
The Pretoria High Court said in a statement it was “compelling respondents to prevent President Omar Al-Bashir from the leaving the country until an order is made in this court”.
The hearing is set to take place later Sunday, the opening day of the African Union summit.
The ruling came after the Southern African Litigation Centre, a legal rights group, launched an urgent court application to force the authorities to arrest Bashir.
Bashir joined a group photograph of leaders at the summit despite the calls for his arrest.
More than 300,000 people have been killed in the conflict and fighting has forced some 2.5 million people to flee their homes, the United Nations says.
Khartoum, however, disputes the figures, estimating the death toll at no more than 10,000.
“Allowing President al-Bashir into South Africa without arresting him would be a major stain on South Africa’s reputation for promoting justice for grave crimes,” said Elise Keppler of Human Rights Watch.
“South Africa’s legal obligations as an ICC member mean cooperating in al-Bashir’s arrest, not in his travel plans.”
[AFP]
Metu Nyetu
June 14, 2015 at 7:20 PM
Is there a word like Vrukwru? Bcos I gues it’s wat dis man was saying wen they took dis pix. It won’t save him frm prosecution.
Danti
June 14, 2015 at 7:59 PM
So Sudan is the next country to be destabilized abi? You see this yeye covert neocolonialism is a pollutant to peace in our world. What happen to Iraq, Libya and Syria? Once you allow sons of lucifer to fluff your understanding of freedom, then you are vulnerable to every experiment of the devil. ICC should stay away from this, why not pursuing members of apartheid regime or participants in recent anti- immigrants riot? South Africa must very careful with all of their moves, if a table cannot be turned to favour everyone, then coming generations will learn to do without a table.(cryptic)
Amanda
June 14, 2015 at 11:59 PM
@ Danti, nice one!
African leaders are moronic everyday. I am sure GWB, T. Blair and co have traveled to many places in Africa. Not one African country raised alarm over war crimes they committed against humanity.
Zuma himself should be charged for recent attacks on fellow Africans. I am going to stay off S. Africa from now on. I thought they have brain. smh
Jilo
June 15, 2015 at 4:30 AM
In as much I don’t support genocide, it is wrong to arrest a sitting president in another host Country. This man was invited to AU summit not just on visiting. If ICC eventually succeed in arresting this man on South Africa soil, this will bring another unending crusade war against South Africa. That guy Jacob Zuma will be responsible for bringing another chaos to that Country. Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) will see this as a religion war. International Criminal Court (ICC) in Hague has to look for another way of dealing with this man. Personally I don’t support what this man have done in Darfur Sudan as per genocide but arresting him in South Africa will be catastrophe and people around the globe will see ICC created to intimidate only African leaders and other weaker nations. If this guy can be arrested, what about former President Bush who said there was a weapon of mass destruction in Iraq and after investigations no weapon of mass destruction was ever found in Iraq and many innocent Iraqis have lost their lives?. What about South Africa genocide by British colonial masters? the recent South Africa Xenophobia attack against foreigners under Jacob Zuma watch? What about Bashar Al-Azad regime in Syria? North Korea etc. There are lot of genocide around the World but directing your beam towards Africa leaders alone will be unjust and unfair.