UN/Sudan

US confirms international court to issue warrant for al-Bashir

Article published on the 2008-07-11 Latest update 2008-07-11 15:37 TU

Omar al-Bashir (left)
( Photo : Reuters )

The US State Department confirmed Friday that prosecutors from the International Criminal Court were to seek an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir. The charges could include war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.The ICC said prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo is set to unveil a new case involving crimes in Darfur on Monday.

"I think that it would represent a major step in trying to limit the impunity associated with the horrific crimes associated that have occurred in Darfur since 2003," said Richard Dicker the head of the  international justice programme of Human Rights Watch in New York.

Moreno-Ocampo will submit evidence on 14 July covering crimes committed in the whole of Darfur over the last five year and giving names of suspects.

The Sudanese president has said his country faces a "vicious campaign" and denies charges that his government was behind the violence in Darfur.

His government says it had no role in organising the Janjaweed militias to take revenge on Darfuris after black African rebels took up arms in protest at alleged government discrimination in 2003.

Since then, the UN estimates that some 300,000 people have died and two million have fled their homes.

The ICC accuses the entire Sudanese government of war crimes in Darfur. Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo is to submit evidence to judges on Monday. 

Officials fear the peacekeeping force in Darfur will face retaliation attacks and there is concern that the fragile prospects for peace in Darfur and in southern Sudan will be weakened.

Sudan does not recognise the International Criminal Court, and has refused to hand over a government minister and militia leader, Ahmed Haroun and Ali Kosheib, both charged with 51 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.