July 7, 2011 (WASHINGTON) – Officials in the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) have made arrangements so that Western officials can avoid contact with President Omer Hassan al-Bashir during the ceremony marking the birth of the new state, a newspaper reported today.

Sudanese President Omer Hassan al-Bashir (Reuters)

Bashir has been charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on ten counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide he allegedly masterminded in Sudan’s western region of Darfur since the conflict there erupted in 2003.

He is the first sitting head of state indicted by the Hague tribunal.

A senior Western official in Sudan, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Washington Times that Southern officials have assured the diplomatic corps in Juba they will do everything to avoid any embarrassments.

"The government is sensitive to these concerns and is going to do everything possible to make sure there are no embarrassments of any sort, on any side, on that day," the official said. "They are conscious that this might be awkward to Bashir as well."

Many Western and UN officials have adopted a policy of not meeting with the Sudanese leader following the issuance of the arrest warrant.

Today the French foreign minister Alain Juppe affirmed that he will not make any contact with Bashir during his presence in Juba at the independence celebrations.

"Just because Bashir is there does not mean that we should not show our support," Juppe told reporters.

France’s top diplomat said he would try to avoid an encounter with Bashir by remaining among the international dignitaries attending such as UN chief Ban Ki-moon and British Foreign Minister William Hague.

US officials said that their participating delegation will adopt the same stance.

The US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice will lead the delegation to Juba consisting of Colin Powell, the former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Donald Payne, US Representative from New Jersey and Ranking Member of House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights.

Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs, and Princeton Lyman, the US Special Envoy to Sudan, also will join the delegation.

Brooke Anderson, Deputy National Security Advisor, Chief of Staff and Counselor for the National Security Staff; Donald Steinberg, Deputy Administrator, USAID; and General Carter Ham, Commander, US Africa Command, were to take part as well.

Representative Payne told the Washington Times that he has no intention of meeting Bashir.

"If the U.S. delegation decides to meet with President Bashir, I will not attend," he said.

Barrie Walkley, the US consul general in Juba, said there are no plans for the US delegation to meet Gen. Bashir.

"That is U.S. policy," he said.

A special seating arrangement has been worked out to minimise the possibility of blushing faces.

Southern Sudanese President Salva Kiir will be seated alongside Bashir at the ceremony, which will be held at the mausoleum of John Garang, who led the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) during the North-South civil war.

African delegations that have been largely sympathetic to Bashir will be seated on his side. Western and non-African delegations will be seated on Kiir’s side.

"It is a way of separating Bashir from those who might feel uncomfortable in his presence," said the senior Western diplomat. "That way, when the heads of the Western delegations come up to give a speech they won’t have to walk past Bashir."

A US State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity citing the sensitive nature of the issue, said the US is committed to international efforts to bring Bashir to justice.

(ST)