ICC refers Sudan cases to UN Security Council
The International Criminal Court has referred Sudan to the United Nations Security Council for protecting two senior government allies who have allegedly committed war crimes. The ICC issued arrest warrants in 2007 for Ahmed Haroun, a former government minister, and Ali Kosheib, the janjaweed militia leader.
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Together, they have 92 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed in the Darfur region.
Omar al-Beshir, who is to be sworn in as president Thursday, also has also been indicted by the ICC for war crimes.
Dismas Nkunda, Darfur Consortium
"Sudan has never cooperated really with the international criminal court," said Dismas Nkunda from the Darfur Consortium, a Uganda-based group of non-governmental organisations. "It’s a clear sign about cooperation, about how states cooperate in terms of apprehending and handing over those who are wanted by the court. It is I think a very positive sign."
Human rights group Amnesty International said Beshir's indictment was a landmark, but condemned the African Union for not acting on it.
South Africa and Botswana have declared that they are prepared to arrest the Sudanese president. Amnesty said it hoped other countries would follow their example.
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