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Sudanese president charged with Darfur war crimes

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The international criminal court (ICC) today filed 10 charges of war crimes against Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, for allegedly masterminding a campaign of murder, rape and mass deportation in Darfur.

The court's prosecutor for Darfur, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said in The Hague he would ask a panel of ICC judges to issue an arrest warrant for Bashir, who refuses to recognise the court's jurisdiction.

Speaking before he unveiled the charges - three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder - Moreno-Ocampo said he was not swayed by the possibility that the ICC's decision could prompt a violent reaction against Darfur refugees and international peacekeepers in Sudan.

"The genocide is ongoing," he told the Associated Press. "Seventy-year-old women, six-year-old girls are raped," he said: "massive rapes, gang rapes, rapes in front of the parents."

The ICC judges will now study the dossier of evidence the prosecutor has compiled against Bashir before deciding whether to issue the arrest warrant, a process that could take several months.

While human rights groups have welcomed the prospect of Bashir being sought for trail, there are fears any such move could cause a backlash in Sudan. There is also little immediate prospect of the president being brought to trial.

More than 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million have been made homeless since a revolt broke out in Darfur, a vast, mainly arid province in western Sudan, 2003.

Bashir's regime is accused of deliberately organising Arab militias to attack Darfur's black African civilian population, something it denies.
The president's supporters have promised an angry response to any war crimes charges, prompting western embassies in Khartoum to instruct staff against unnecessary travel in the coming days.

In an interview published today, the UN head, Ban Ki-Moon, said he was "very worried" at the possible reaction to charges against Sudan.
"It would have very serious consequences for peacekeeping operations, as well as the political situation," he told Le Figaro, adding that "nobody can evade justice".
bansheewail

23 responses // Sudanese president charged with Darfur war crimes

  • http://current.com/items/76297382_a_slideshow_of_genoci...
    Wow. I'm glad to see the ICC taking this stand against the atrocities in Darfur. Check out this moving pod of photographs documenting the situation in the region.
    abbym0308
  • http://current.com/items/76350542_darfur_rising
    Check out this Pod on Darfur Rising
    joshuaheller
  • It's about time...
    sgirgis72
    1 response to this
  • They took their time didn't they? I think they only did it because of the media attention.
    thekingbeyond
  • This is a completely new development in this world of ours that is headed towards complete accountability, rule of law, representation, and justice. I don't know how it will pan out, being as it's never been done quite like this before. International law condemning rulers of a sovereign nation (though Sudan is not really sovereign)?? Crazy. This precedent will reverberate for generations.
    JudahEvan
  • Will they be charging GWB and Cheney soon? I would have to support that.
    MeganMcKenzie
  • I gotta admit, they took their time. I bet this'll happen to Mugabe in 15 years. If he's still about that is.
    subsequent
  • This should be breaking news.
    tanyetta
    1 response to this
  • I suppose better late then never. Hopefully Bush and Co. are next...

    "Nobody can evade justice" I think that sums it up.
    Ayahuasca2012
  • http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7506242.stm
    In response to this news, the UN announced it is to withdraw non-essential staff from Darfur.
    "It is not clear how many will be withdrawn. But Gen Martin Luther Agwai, Unamid force commander, said the peacekeepers would maintain their unit strength and would not stop patrolling.
    "We will continue to protect the UN personnel and UN facilities that are here and we will continue to help the humanitarian organisations to continue to do their job of rendering humanitarian services to the people in Darfur," Gen Agwai said."
    abbym0308
  • watch this comment being used here, here, here, here, here, and here
    Sovereignty should never outweigh Human Rights Period.
    hombre76
  • Why haven't I seen this on TV, this is MAJOR. I've been waiting a long time for this, the only question now, is what are we going to do for Darfur in the meantime?
    THEREisHOPE
  • Yeah, this is good news. It would be nice if it meant something and if something was actually going to happen to this asswipe, instead of nothing.
    Blazesboy
  • Nice too see, but getting this guy wont stop whats going on over their untill whoever (if someone does at this point) adressess the problem directly
    PcfllIntent
  • No big surprise here,as nothing real or tangible will result unless US special forces sneak in and arrest him(as happened in Bosnia).Sad to notice how the UN"peacekeepers" flee in terror already.The world would probably be better off without the UN.It is a totally inept and impotent organization,performs no real function,and costs us a hell of alot to maintain.This madman will probably kill many more innocent people in retaliation for this announcement.And most of the world will,again, look the other way.
    squilla1123
  • Unfortunately, genocide has happened in the past and is still happening today. What can we do? I think the best we can do is love and pray, but in the end is there a solution?
    thesophisticate
  • I don't see how the threat of more violence should stop them from prosecuting this corrupt maniac. I hate to be a pessimist, but you take one out, the next one comes in like a severed lizard tail. The balance of power shifts, those that were in power run, and the new order feels must seek revenge. Makes you wonder if it will ever end.
    Neghie
  • >>>Hopefully this will be good for Darfur, but this definitely doesn't set a precedent for the rest of the world to follow, especially the first world.

    Bashir is being held accountable by the world court because he has no power. Sudan has a relatively weak military and no nukes.

    World Power leaders will not be held to the same standards as Bashir, because they have political, economic and military power, while Bashir has next to none.
    flyingkick
  • Finally!!!! Its sad how the world doesn't act as fast if the issue has nothing to do with them. Thats probably why the Bush administration is in Iraq (for gas) and not in Dar fur.
    ovacoma4
  • watch this comment being used here, here, here and here
    Let's hope this monster doesn't die like Milosevic before he's brought to justice.
    Paul_Flynn
  • The heads of governments should be held to a higher standard. The world court should have a lot more power to bring these murderous dictators to court.
    Brockie

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