State minister says Sudan protecting Harun, Kushayb

The Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice say the government is protecting Ahmed Harun and Ali Kushayb and is not investigating them, let alone considering bringing them to trial. The junior minister, Bol Lul Wang, told Reuters in an interview Wednesday that Sudan was not pursuing active cases against the two war crimes suspects, who are wanted in The Hague by the International Criminal Court.“The prosecutor may find some difficulties taking procedures against them because they are being protected by the government,” he said. Ali Kushayb may be presently in Darfur and Ahmed Harun is currently the governor of Southern Kordofan.

“These people are high figures in the government. The government has no will to pursue or even investigate those people … It is not serious. Because if it was serious they would not let a man like Haroun hold a ministerial post,” said Bol.

The only cases in Darfur that he seemed aware of were cases against insurgents. Regarding members of Arab militias, he said, “It seems like the government is not serious about taking a very immediate measure against” them. It is very reluctant.”

Bol Lul Wang is a member of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, the coalition partner of the ruling National Congress Party. The coalition of the two parties is set to end by July at the latest, when the interim period of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement expires.