Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Expanded Arrest Warrant Does Not Slow Sudanese Leaderās Travels

   Peter Clottey 20 July 2010
   On  Monday,  July,  12,  2010, the International Criminal Court in The
   Hague,  Netherlands,  charged  Sudanese  President Omar al-Bashir with
   three  counts  of  genocide  in  Darfur, a move that will pile further
   diplomatic pressure on his isolated regime. The decisio

Photo: AP

   FILE  -  In  this  May  27,  2010  file  photo, Sudan's president Omar
   al-Bashir  gestures  prior  to  being  sworn  in, at the parliament in
   Khartoum, Sudan. On Monday, July, 12, 2010, the International Criminal
   Court  in  The  Hague,  Netherlands,  charged  Sudanese President Omar
   al-Bashir  with  three  counts of genocide in Darfur, a move that will
   pile  further diplomatic pressure on his isolated regime. The decision
   marked  the first time the world's first permanent war crimes tribunal
   has issued genocide charges. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf, File)

   A  top  official  of Sudanās ruling National Congress Party (NCP) told
   VOA the expanded International Criminal Courtās arrest warrant against
   President  Omar  Hassan Al-Bashir will not prevent him from making his
   scheduled trip to neighboring Chad.

   Rabie  Abdullati  Obeid said President Bashirās trip Wednesday to Chad
   will  seek  to  strengthen  bilateral relations with Ndjamena and show
   that  the  additional  arrest  warrant issued by the Hague-based court
   does not have any effect on his travels to other countries.

   āThis  visit  proves  that  we  are  not  (bothered  by)  ICC steps or
   procedures as we are not members of the Rome Charter on which this ICC
   (was)  establishedā¦and  the program of the government, especially and
   particularly,  on  the  relationship  between  Sudan  and  neighboring
   countries whether in Africa or the Arab world is going on,ā he said.

   Last  week,  the  Hague-based  court  issued  a  second arrest warrant
   against  the embattled Sudanese leader adding genocide charges against
   Mr.  Bashir over his alleged involvement in the violence in the Darfur
   region.

   Chadian President Idriss Deby

   In  a  released statement, the ICC said, āThere are reasonable grounds
   to  believe  that  Mr.  Al-Bashir  is  criminally responsible for five
   counts  of  crimes  against  humanity (murder, extermination, forcible
   transfer,   torture   and   rape),  and  two  counts  for  war  crimes
   (intentionally  directing  attacks  against  a civilian population, as
   such,  or  against  individual  civilians  not  taking  direct part in
   hostilities, and pillaging).ā

   In 2009, the same court issued an international arrest warrant against
   President Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

   But,  supporters  of  Mr.  Bashir dismissed the charges as āpoliticalā
   saying western countries often manipulate decisions of the Hague-based
   court against Sudan.

   While  in the Chadian capital, President Bashir is scheduled to attend
   the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CENSAD) summit Thursday.

   On  the  eve  of  his  trip,  the Sudanese government expelled Chadian
   rebels  living  in  the  country,  a  move  senior  NCP official Obeid
   described as a mere coincidence.

   āThis  is  only  coming like that, but there is no connection with the
   visit  of  the president. Actually, (his trip) is planned according to
   the  schedule  already made by the government. I donāt think that this
   is connected to each other,ā Obeid said.

   Analysts  say  President  Bashir is unlikely to be arrested by Chadian
   officials  despite Ndjamena being a signatory of the Rome Statute that
   obliges  the  government  to  enforce  the arrest warrants against the
   Sudanese leader.

   Both  President  Bashir and his Chadian counterpart, Idriss Deby, have
   normalized official relations after years of tensions.

.