Sudan

Khartoum will not hand over suspects, ambassador

Article published on the 2008-06-04 Latest update 2008-06-05 09:12 TU

Sudan's UN ambassador Abdalmahmood Mohamad
(Photo: AFP )

Khartoum will not turn over war criminals to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague, Sudanese Ambassador to the UN Abdalmahmood Mohamad told reporters on Wednesday, as government representatives met UN Security Council members in Khartoum. Sudan has ignored ICC arrest warrants for Sudanese Secretary of State for Humanitarian Affairs Ahmed Haroun and Janjaweed leader Ali Kosheib, two major suspects accused of crimes against humanity.

"We are not a member of the ICC. They have no jurisdiction over us. We will never submit any Sudanese citizen to The Hague," said Mohammad.

The two men between them are charged with 51 counts of crimes against humanity including rape, murder, torture, persecution and forcible displacement.

Human rights groups have lobbied for their extradition.

"Our judicial system is renowned in the Arab world and Africa. It is looking into the matters of war crimes in Darfur. So people have already been tried and hanged and we will continue," added Mohammad.

Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo is slated on Wednesday to unveil details of a second case against top officials also accused of crimes during the five-year war.

According to UN figures, some 300,000 people have died and more than 2.2 million have fled their homes since the conflict broke out in the western Sudanese region of Darfur in February 2003.

The conflict began when rebels took up arms against the government and ethnic-Arab, state-backed militias in a fight over resources and  representation in the government. The conflict has spilled overf into neighbouring countries, including Chad and the Central African Republic.