China Calls For International Efforts to Settle the Situation Involving the ICC Actions Against Sudan

Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir with Chadian leader Idris Deby during 2003.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos

China calls for int'l efforts to push Sudan issue settlement

09:16, February 06, 2010

China said Friday it would like to work with the international community to strive for proper settlement of the Sudan issue, with the precondition of ensuring peace and stability in the country.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu made the remarks when asked to comment on the decision by the appeals chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which ordered a review of dropping genocide charges against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

"We do not expect such a move to further complicate the settlement of the Darfur issue and the peace between the North and South (of Sudan)," Ma said in a statement.

"Such a move might disturb or even damage the cooperative atmosphere between concerned sides," he said.

The ICC appeals chamber judges on Wednesday ordered the ICC pre-trial judges to reconsider their decision not to charge al-Bashir with genocide, an allegation brought against him since 2008.

Ma said, since then, China, along with some African and Arabic developing countries, as well as regional organizations such as the Africa Union and the League of Arab States, have clearly expressed their deep concern.

Currently, the situation in Sudan is at a "complex, sensitive and critical" stage as the largest African country is to hold general elections in April and a referendum on self-determination for south Sudan is slated for January 2011, Ma said.

"Concerned sides are also trying to pushing forward the Doha peace talks," Ma said.

On March 3, 2009, the ICC pre-trial court issued an arrest warrant against al-Bashir accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

However, the ICC pre-trial chamber found there was insufficient evidence to charge al-Bashir with genocide, which pushed the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo to appeal the decision on July 6, 2009.

The Sudanese government rejects all ICC decisions and declared that it would not cooperate with the court because it did not have the jurisdiction allowing it to try Sudanese nationals outside the Sudanese territories.

Source:Xinhua