As he prepares to attend the ongoing Africa-India summit in India, the President of Sudan may be in for more troubles than he can foresee.
Omar Al-Bashir
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has tasked India to aid in arresting and handing over Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, who is wanted on genocide charges and expected to participate in the ongoing Africa-India Summit.
For some time now, the embattled Bashir has been facing accusation of masterminding war crimes in his campaign to crush a revolt in Sudan’s western Darfur region, a move that led the ICC to issue warrants for his arrest in 2009 and 2010.
Vanguard reports that the 71-year-old president is expected to arrive in New Delhi on Wednesday to attend the Summit aimed at boosting trade and investment between the two regions.
ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told newsmen that even though India is not an ICC signatory, it should act as a UN Security Council resolution had lifted Bashir’s immunity under international law and urged all states to fully cooperate with the ICC.
This is not the first time the ICC has asked a foreign government to arrest and hand over Bashir. South Africa, which is a signatory to the ICC and obliged to implement warrants from the court, was criticised in June for allowing Bashir to leave an AU summit, defying a ruling by its own court ordering his detention. Sudan has previously accused the ICC of being a political tool to target African leaders.
It will be recalled that the body had indicted Laurent Gbagbo, former president of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, and Muammar Gaddafi, the late leader of Libya on war crimes.