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Sudan has appointed a prosecutor to probe war crimes in Darfur, a further indication it is not accepting the authority of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to try Sudanese war criminals.
Sudanese Justice Minister ‘Abd Al-Basit Sabdarat appointed a special prosecutor for alleged Darfur war crimes, who will have the power to take cases to court.
The move comes three weeks after the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo asked for an arrest warrant to be issued against Sudanese President ‘Umar Al-Bashir for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur.
The request requires the approval of ICC judges who are reviewing the case.
Sudan has repeatedly rejected this ruling and does not recognize the ICC’s authority on the matter.
The decision was also criticized by the African Union and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, both of whom fear it will impede peace efforts in Darfur.
Khartoum insists its own courts are effective enough in bringing war criminals to justice, but critics are slamming this latest announcement as a media stunt and say the Sudanese legal system needs to be reformed in order to be effective.
The appointed prosecutor, Nimr Ibrahim Muhammad, will be supported by three assistants.
Moreano-Ocampo dismissed Khartoum’s decision to appoint a prosecutor for Darfur crimes, according to the Sudan Tribune. He said Sudan had set up special courts for this purpose in the past but investigated no one.
Since last year the ICC has been demanding that Khartoum arrest two men suspected of war crimes in Darfur, but they have not been brought to justice.
The conflict in Darfur began in early 2003 when local rebel groups rose up against the central government in Khartoum, protesting decades of discrimination. The government has been accused of unleashing aggressive armed groups called the Janjaweed to counter the rebels.
According to international estimates, more than 200,000 people have been killed and 2.2 million displaced in what some governments are calling genocide.
The Sudanese government is downplaying the death toll of the Darfur conflict, and says it is closer to 10,000. |
