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African Union chief criticizes genocide charges against Sudan president

July 17, 2010 (ADDIS ABABA) — The Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU) Jean Ping issued a statement on Friday criticizing the addition of genocide charges against the Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir this week by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Chairperson of African Union Commission Jean Ping (Reuters)
Chairperson of African Union Commission Jean Ping (Reuters)
The court on Monday accused Bashir of three counts of genocide, saying there were “reasonable grounds” that he masterminded a plan aimed at exterminating Darfur African tribes of the Fur, Masaalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups.

Over a year ago, , the ICC issued a warrant for Bashir’s arrest on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, its first ever for a sitting head of state, but stopped short of accusing him of genocide. An appeals chamber overruled exclusion of genocide and ordered the Pre-Trial Chamber to review the case again.

“This decision, which confirms AUJs previous concerns, came at a particular time marked by progress in the democratic transformation of the Sudan, following the April 2010 general elections, and renewed efforts towards the completion of the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), including the holding of the self-determination referendum in South Sudan and negotiations on post-referendum arrangements, as well as towards the search for a lasting and inclusive political solution to the crisis in Darfur” Ping said.

The decision also comes at a time when the AU, through the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), is carrying out consultations with the Government of Sudan and other stakeholders on how best to proceed with the implementation of the recommendations put forward by the AU High-Level Panel on Darfur (ALIPD) on justice, reconciliation and healing. These efforts are informed by the AUJs commitment to fighting impunity, in line with its Constitutive Act and other relevant instruments”.

The AU established a panel headed by former south African president Thabo Mbeki to look at justice mechanisms in response to the initiation of judicial proceedings against Bashir which started in July 2008. The commission called for a hybrid court with participation of foreign judges to try war crimes suspects and changes to Sudanese laws. It took no position on the ICC warrant except to say that the Hague-based tribunal cannot try all the suspects, effectively supporting its work.

However, since the endorsement of Mbeki’s findings by the AU, no progress has been made on the justice track and it is not clear when implementing the hybrid court proposal would commence. Khartoum gave a cool reception to the proposed court with some officials suggesting it is an infringement on the country’s sovereignty.

Ping noted that “neither the United Nations International Commission of Inquiry, nor the former AU Mission in Sudan (AMIS) and the AU/UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) upheld the accusation of genocide in Darfur”.

The U.N.-appointed inquiry in 2004 found no genocide but found that some individuals may have acted with genocidal intent.

In 2006 the Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo urged Sudan to accept a UN role in its troubled western Darfur region, saying that “genocide” was developing there.

“The Chairperson of the Commission notes that the AU is of the conviction that this new and untimely decision by the ICC and its action in general on Sudan are counterproductive, and will complicate the ongoing efforts and increase the risk of instability, with far-reaching consequences for Sudan, the region and Africa as a whole”.

“It is against this background that the AU, once again, urges the United Nations Security Council to assume its responsibilities and act on the call for the deferral of the process initiated by the ICC against President Omar Hassan Al Bashir in the interest of peace, justice”.

The AU angered by UNSC refusal to freeze the warrant, adopted a resolution last year stating that no country in the continent will cooperate with the ICC in apprehending the Sudanese president even if they have legal obligations under the Rome Statute under which the court was formed.

The decision drew outcry from Darfur rebels and rights group who accused the pan-African body of being complicit in human rights abuses on the continent.

“The AU should lead by example, but in certain situations it has become part of the problem,” said the London-based Amnesty International group in a report released last May.

(ST)

13 Comments

  • Bol Bol
    Bol Bol

    African Union chief criticizes genocide charges against Sudan president
    Jean Ping is a Chinese and he’s a Chinese secret spokeperson. His mother is African and his father is chinese. No wonder why has been critical of ICC.

    Reply
  • Dinka Boy
    Dinka Boy

    African Union chief criticizes genocide charges against Sudan president
    Jean Ping is a criminal who can not see the reason why Bashier was charge against the crime he committed agianst the people of Darfur.
    What can you say about Omar Bashier who order the the cleansing of African tribes in Western Darfur in 2003?
    Why this Ping hold this position while he is a devil who just support the murder because of the money he was bribe. Sorry for Ping!

    Reply
  • murlescrewed
    murlescrewed

    African Union chief criticizes genocide charges against Sudan president
    Half-Chinese SoB needs to open his eyes wide enough to see what is happening in Darfur. He is acting like his kinsmen in Beijing whose weapons are being used to carry out genocide in Darfur.

    Reply
  • Kideopo Boy
    Kideopo Boy

    African Union chief criticizes genocide charges against Sudan president
    What a mess AU Chairperson critizing the ICC charges of genocide against President Bashir and Darfurians celebrating it as victory on their right. Mr. Ping should be a neutral person than sidelining with criminals like Bashir, Harun, Kosheb -50 others. Darfurians were rape, murdered in the eyes of the Sudanese People and International community. What next? Justice must prevail. If some of the above names didn’t committed any crimes in Darfur, let them voluntarily go to Hague (Netherland) to comfirm their charges before the world like what some of the rebels commanders did. Ping is to convince Omer Bashir and his groups wanted by the ICC to voluntarily turned themselves to the ICC. Omer and his groups knows very well the out come of the Darfur crime when they are in ICC cells.

    Reply
  • telfajbago
    telfajbago

    African Union chief criticizes genocide charges against Sudan president
    “It is against this background that the AU, once again, urges the United Nations Security Council to assume its responsibilities and act on the call for the deferral of the process initiated by the ICC against President Omar Hassan Al Bashir in the interest of peace, justice”.
    Take it from my writings Jean Ping Pong our next front after dismantling Sudan will be within the A.U in order to liberate it from oil- money hungry individuals like Jean ping who care beyond nothing about the lives of Africans and create people’s supported new A.U that will be governed by world’s new order and total respect to human rights and human lives;and Iam sure it will be totally different than today’s elites A.U which pocketed by Arabs.It’s a pity that such high-ranking individual within A.U like Jean Ping was blinded by Sudan’s oil money to see that the ICC move against his master Al-Bashir is aimed to safe lives of innocent Dafrurian People that the regime which he is defending killing them every passing minute,regardless of Peace empty talks.Ping failed to even condemn verbally those killings and attacksbecause of the material blinders on his eyes and soul and want far to form his own tribunal in order to salvage Al-Bashir

    Reply
  • DASODIKO
    DASODIKO

    African Union chief criticizes genocide charges against Sudan president
    I am wondering that Ping is still supporting the regime in Khartoum, that has killed millions of inncent civilians in South Sudan and now in Darfur; although his uncles in China have reverted their position from ICC, since they realized that the oil field they were defending for are going to independent South Sudan. I will be very happy if Jing Ping read the statement from Chinese Foreign Affairs.but it seem that his uncle wong Ping forgot to sent a message to Jean Ping and explain him the new position of his uncles in China.

    Reply
  • Bol Bol
    Bol Bol

    African Union chief criticizes genocide charges against Sudan president
    The so-called AU cannot be trusted to represent the interest of Africa at large unless when real Africans can take charge of this organization plug out the unwanted weeds who have other interest in mind. When founders fathers like Haile Selassie, Mzee Kenyatta and Nkrumah founded this organization in 1960s, it was to represent the Africa and her people only. This has not been the case now and it’s very sad. Until the current fail leadership is changed, the African people will not trust this failed organization.

    Reply
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