As Bensouda visits, Sudan says ready to cooperate with ICC
Sudan's Minister of Justice Nasruddin Abdel Bari shakes hands with the International Criminal Court prosecutor Fatou Bensouda during her visit to the capital Khartoum on October 18, 2020.
What you need to know:
- Bensouda arrived in Khartoum on Saturday night, heading a delegation from the ICC on an exceptional visit expected to discuss the case of ousted President Omar al-Bashir and the rest of those wanted by the court.
- At a meeting with the ICC delegation, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdulla Hamdok affirmed the government's commitment to achieving justice, noting it was one of the slogans of the "glorious" December revolution.
ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said Sunday that her visit to Sudan will discuss its cooperation with the court on matters to do with suspects for which it has issued arrest warrants and the Darfur war.
Bensouda arrived in Khartoum on Saturday night, heading a delegation from the ICC on an exceptional visit expected to discuss the case of ousted President Omar al-Bashir and the rest of those wanted by the court.
The criminal prosecutor described her visit to Sudan as "very historic” and said she was happy to have arrived in Khartoum.
“The aim of the visit is of two parts. The first is to meet with Sudanese officials about the work of the International Criminal Court in Darfur and how to coordinate integration between the work of the court and the Sudanese judiciary on issues related to Darfur,” she said.
"The second goal is how to obtain the cooperation of the Sudanese authorities in collecting information related to the case of Ali Kushayb , who is detained by the ICC for war crimes in Darfur."
Sudan’s promise
At a meeting with the ICC delegation, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdulla Hamdok affirmed the government's commitment to achieving justice, noting it was one of the slogans of the "glorious" December revolution.
“Sudan’s commitment to achieving justice is not only an international obligation but also comes in response to popular demands for justice and implementation of slogans of the glorious revolution that demanded, among other things, justice”.
Dr Hamdok said the visit is a testament to the change that the comprehensive reform processes are making in the new Sudan.
Upon meeting with Bensouda, the First Vice President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, Lieutenant-General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, confirmed the government's willingness to cooperate with the ICC/
He insisted on the independence of the Sudanese judiciary, stressing that the government does not interfere at all in its work.
Extradition issue
The extradition of wanted persons to the ICC was one of the requirements of the peace agreement reached in Juba.
The meeting agreed on the need to hand the suspects over and the prosecutor’s visit to Sudan is the first step in implementing the deal.
“Handing over wanted persons to the ICC is one of the requirements of the Sudanese revolution in terms of freedom, peace and justice. These are war crimes which must be tried in the competent courts,” Dr Ahmed Moussa Omar, a legal expert, told the Nation.
“The place of the trial will be determined by the ICC, as well as whether Sudan can be suitable for the trial according to the political, security and social situation there. The criminal court has a known location in Lahaye but there is nothing to prevent choosing an off-site for trials,” he added.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Bashir and four others, from a list of 51 people accused of involvement in war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur.
