Sudan responds to Bashir's indict

2008-07-21 14:51

Pretoria - The Sudanese government has established a high level committee to respond to an indictment by the International Criminal Court for the prosecution of president Omar al Bashir.

Speaking at a seminar in Pretoria on Monday, Sudanese ambassador Khol Alor said a committee including Sudanese cabinet ministers had been established to look into the allegations of crimes against humanity and genocide lodged against al-Bashir.

"The president of the republic... and all sectors issued a decree for a high level committee to put together a plan and to study the allegations and how to move and challenge the application," said Alor.

The committee was established two days after ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo brought the allegations before The Hague on July 14.

Sudan was not a member of the ICC. No time frame had been given as to when the committee was expected to conclude its findings.

The South African government as well as China had expressed concerns that an indictment on an incumbent president could possibly damage peace processes in Sudan's troubled Darfur region.

They had instead suggested a year's delay in prosecution.

- SAPA