ICC prosecutor: ‘UN prolongs conflict in Darfur’
The United Nations is prolonging the conflict in Darfur by its failure to act in bringing suspects indicted for war crimes to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC prosecutor has condemned the paralysis on Darfur in the Security Council.The chairman of the Council, the France UN Ambassador Gerard Araud, admits the inaction: “We are ready to move forward, but the council is blocked, by some countries.”The ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda says that the lack of commitment in the face of increasing violence against civilians has emboldened Sudan’s president Omar Al Bashir to ignore council resolutions and left victims with no hope for justice, as Associated Press reports.The Sudanese president, the Defence minister Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein and the again recently empowered militia leader Ali Kushayb have been indicted for war crimes, including genocide. Despite the arrest warrant they “have been able to travel to various countries without fear of arrest.”This council’s silence even when notified of clear failures and/or violations by UN member states of their obligations to comply with this council’s resolutions only serves to add insult to the plight of Darfur’s victims,” she said.”The numbers of people killed, abducted and displaced continues to grow each year,” Bensouda said. “Alleged perpetrators of serious crimes against the civilian population will continue to commit crimes unless they are brought to justice,” she said. “It is now up to this council and to the states parties to heed the cries of the millions of victims of crimes which continue unabated in Darfur.”The UN ambassador of Sudan Daffa’alla Elhag Ali Osman criticized Bensouda’s statement, saying: “It is authoritative, as if giving instructions to the Security Council.”File photo: ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda (rnw.nl) Related: ICC berates UN for ‘inaction and paralysis’ on Sudan’s President Bashir (12 December 2013)
The United Nations is prolonging the conflict in Darfur by its failure to act in bringing suspects indicted for war crimes to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC prosecutor has condemned the paralysis on Darfur in the Security Council.
The chairman of the Council, the France UN Ambassador Gerard Araud, admits the inaction: “We are ready to move forward, but the council is blocked, by some countries.”
The ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda says that the lack of commitment in the face of increasing violence against civilians has emboldened Sudan’s president Omar Al Bashir to ignore council resolutions and left victims with no hope for justice, as Associated Press reports.
The Sudanese president, the Defence minister Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein and the again recently empowered militia leader Ali Kushayb have been indicted for war crimes, including genocide. Despite the arrest warrant they “have been able to travel to various countries without fear of arrest.
“This council’s silence even when notified of clear failures and/or violations by UN member states of their obligations to comply with this council’s resolutions only serves to add insult to the plight of Darfur’s victims,” she said.
“The numbers of people killed, abducted and displaced continues to grow each year,” Bensouda said. “Alleged perpetrators of serious crimes against the civilian population will continue to commit crimes unless they are brought to justice,” she said. “It is now up to this council and to the states parties to heed the cries of the millions of victims of crimes which continue unabated in Darfur.”
The UN ambassador of Sudan Daffa’alla Elhag Ali Osman criticized Bensouda’s statement, saying: “It is authoritative, as if giving instructions to the Security Council.”
File photo: ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda (rnw.nl)
Related: ICC berates UN for ‘inaction and paralysis’ on Sudan’s President Bashir (12 December 2013)
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