Sudan urged to arrest suspects
2008-06-05 11:29
New York - A coalition of human rights groups on Wednesday appealed for world pressure on Sudan to turn over two suspects sought by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes in Darfur.
"Justice for Darfur" told a press conference that it was pushing for adoption by the United Nations Security Council on Thursday of a non-binding statement demanding the arrest of Sudanese secretary of state for humanitarian affairs Ahmed Haroun and Janjaweed militia leader Ali Kosheib.
It specifically asked council veto-wielding member China, a close ally of Khartoum with which it had close economic interests, not to block approval of the Costa Rican-drafted text.
The statement was to be discussed on Thursday during a briefing of the 15-member council by ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo.
Women raped, schools bombed
Ocampo was to outline his latest report on ICC activities in which he deplored that Khartoum "is not co-operating with the Court".
"The government of Sudan has taken no steps to arrest and surrender the suspects and stop the crimes," the report noted.
It noted that "one year after warrants were issued against them, Haroun and Kosheib were free and involved in acts against civilians".
Ocampo was to explore with the council possible reactions to Sudan's non-cooperation with the ICC and with relevant Security Council resolutions.
"The people of Darfur are attacked in their villages and in the camps. They are attacked now. Community leaders are arrested, women are raped, schools are bombed. Those are not military actions. Those are criminal acts," Ocampo said.
Deployment of troops
He added: "Impunity for Haroun has concrete consequences on the international community's efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance and promote security in Darfur.
"He attacks the people he has the responsibility to protect. He hampers the delivery of relief to the victims. He is also involved in obstructing deployment of the peacekeepers."
Coalition member Richard Dicker, an official of the New York-based Human Rights Watch, noted that during Ocampo's previous appearance before the council in December, a statement demanding the arrest of Haroun and Kosheib failed to secure approval mainly due to the obstruction of Beijing.
"Now we hope that, with its aspirations to play a leading role on the world stage, ... China will take a more reasonable and nuanced view" on how to bring to justice "those responsible for horrific crimes committed against the people of Darfur", he added.
"It would certainly be sorrowful to see the (Beijing) Olympic games (in August) tainted with an example of Chinese support or complicity for the obstruction of justice by Sudan," Dicker said.
Justice for Darfur brought together some 30 groups, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Darfur Consortium and Aegis Trust.