Imperialist Threats Against Sudan Continues

Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir says he will withdraw troops from the Abyei region. The conflict with South Sudan has escalated in recent months., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Sudan: Bensouda Calls for Bashir's Arrest

2 APRIL 2013

Arusha — The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, today called for the arrest of suspects wanted by the Court, including Sudanese President Omar al Bashir.

The call came in a message to mark the start of genocide awareness month this April. The ICC issued its first arrest warrant for genocide in 2010 against Bashir. He is accused of killing and inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups in Darfur.

"Unfortunately for the victims in Darfur, their suffering continues because of lack of implementation of the arrest warrant," Bensouda said.

"This April marks genocide awareness month and I call on all States, whether parties to the Rome Statute or not, to cooperate with the ICC in seeking/pursuing accountability for genocide. As we observe a moment of silence for past genocides, we must not forget victims of the Darfur genocide."

The International Criminal Court has a mandate to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed anywhere in the world. The Office of the Prosecutor is currently investigating and prosecuting such crimes in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, the Darfur region of Sudan, Kenya, Libya, Ivory Coast and Mali.

It is also conducting preliminary examinations in Colombia, Georgia, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Honduras, Guinea and South Korea.


Uganda a threat to regional stability - Sudan

Apr 01, 2013
New Vision

The Sudanese government has lashed out again at Uganda accusing it of undermining regional security by harboring and supporting anti-Khartoum rebel movements.

The spokesman of Sudan’s Foreign Ministry Abu-Bakr al-Sideeg said on Saturday that Kampala’s stances have become incomprehensible especially since Khartoum has repeatedly called on Uganda to refrain from backing Sudanese insurgents and interfering in the country’s affairs.

The Sudanese diplomat noted the signed protocol on security, stability and development in the Great Lakes Region which he said obligates all countries in the region including Uganda not to cooperate with the rebels, the Sudan Tribune Newspaper has reported.

He also pointed out that December 2011 Great lakes conference adopted a resolution designating Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) as negative forces.

The Sudanese government was infuriated this year after rebel forces and opposition groups signed an accord in Kampala last January calling for toppling the regime of president Omer Hassan al-Bashir.

This has prompted Khartoum to lodge several complaints with the African Union (AU) and other regional blocs against Kampala saying the latter is supporting regime change in Sudan.

This month the speaker of the Sudan’s national assembly Ahmed Ibrahim al-Tahir disclosed that Khartoum is working with forces in Uganda that are opposed to president Yoweri Museveni to bring about "positive political influence".

In response to the remarks Uganda’s Foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa warned that if Sudan continues supporting forces opposed to the Uganda Government they will be defeated.

"Sudan has always supported LRA leader Joseph Kony, if they want to continue they will meet the same end of defeat. Uganda is not going to promote any groups against the government of Sudan," Kutesa told New Vision newspaper in Kampala.

He went on to say that the two countries have a bilateral mechanism of resolving problems between the two countries.

Uganda’s top diplomat also warned that if Sudan were to expel any staff from Uganda’s embassy in Sudan as it has threatened, Kampala would reciprocate.

"We hope they don’t go that extent," he said.

Kutesa described as a mistake for al-Tahir to attempt to spoil relations between the countries and try to conduct issues of bilateral relations through the press.