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Sanctions against Sudan; Reactions; Meeting between Ocampo and Amr Mussa; Sudanese Gov/UN-AU; Analysis, Reports and Editorials

30 May 2007

Please find below reports and analysis related the International Criminal
Court's (ICC) investigation in Darfur and the recent announcement by
the US government on sanctions against Sudan, among other updates. 

A. SANCTIONS AGAINST SUDAN: Associated Press reported that on May 29, American
President George W. Bush announced "new economic sanctions against Sudan for
its role in Darfur", to pressure Sudan's government to halt the bloodshed in
Darfur that his administration has condemned as genocide.  According to the
same article, the sanctions "target government-run companies involved in
Sudan's oil industry, and three individuals, including a rebel leader,
suspected of being involved in the violence in Darfur". It highlights that
one of those three individuals is Ahmad Muhammad Harun, Sudan's state
minister for humanitarian affairs, recently accused for the perpetration of
war crimes in Darfur by the ICC. It is also interesting to highlight that
Liu Guijin, China's new troubleshooter on Africa, defended his country's
investment in Sudan "as a better way to stop the bloodshed rather than the
sanctions advocated by the US and other Western governments."

B. REACTIONS: WARRANTS, GENDER CRIMES, MORENO OCAMPO'S MEETING WITH AMR
MUSSA and SUDANESE GOVERNMENT'S REACTION TO THE PROSECUTOR'S REMARKS AFTER THE
MEETING: more articles related to the ICC's issuance of arrest warrants for
Ahmad Harun and Ali Kushayb, the two individuals named by ICC prosecutor
Moreno-Ocampo in his February filing on the Darfur situation for the
perpetration of serious crimes. Find in this section:
- A piece (published by AP) where Darfuri women describe "gang-rape horror".

- The ICC Prosecutor expressed "confidence" that two of the principal war
crime suspects in the Darfur case "will be arrested". Moreno Ocampo made
these remarks after his unannounced meeting with Mr. Amr Mussa, the Arab
League Secretary-General.
- The Sudanese government reacted to Mr. Moreno Ocampo's remarks after the
meeting with Mussa, and announced "that it is thwarting the operation of the
International Criminal Court as the latter has no jurisdiction over its
nationals." The Sudanese Minister of Justice Mr. Al Mardi said that "neither
of the indicts have any intention to appear before the ICC as they both do
not recognize its authority to try either of them in case legal charges have
been established against them". He reiterated "the absence of ICC
jurisdiction over Sudan", adding that "Sudan won't bow to pressures from any
party as its position is legally correct, solid and clear."

C. SUDANESE GOVERNMENT - UN-AU: Sudan's government has suggested that some
of the proposals set forth in the UN-AU Report on Darfur Hybrid Force
"violate the terms of the Abuja Peace Accord". The report proposed two
options for the military force and the number of troops deployed to Darfur
was to be determined by the tripartite commission consisting of UN, AU and
Khartoum. According to this article, critics say that "Sudan fears UN troops
would enforce International Criminal Court warrants for the arrests of war
crimes suspects."

D. ANALYSIS, REPORTS AND EDITORIALS:
(1) Last week, an IWPR article on the ICC outreach work in the Sudan
situation was made public.  The article states that the ICC is currently
working at "translating important documents into Arabic (.); providing local
media with the updates on court activities; putting together a special radio
programme for the refugee camps and developing relations with the Sudanese
diaspora." It highlights that "some experts say the ICC has not done enough
to communicate its key messages to the region, notwithstanding the obstacles
and challenges it faces in Sudan" .
(2) Brunei Times published an opinion article ("Ostrich-like attitude of
Sudan'). An excerpt reads: "No words are strong enough to condemn the
reported gang rapes of women in war-torn Darfur. The strongest of measures
should be slapped both on the alleged perpetrators from amongst the
janjaweed militia, and the government of Sudan for the lamest of denial of
the atrocity occurring simply based on its belief that the Islamic society
there would have not allowed it to happen." It also states that' more than
200,000 civilians have died and 2.5 million are homeless out of a Darfuri
population of six million, according to the UN, and a February report by the
International Criminal Court alleges "mass rape of civilians who were known
not to be participants in any armed conflict".

Please take note of the Coalition's policy on situations before the ICC
(below), which explicitly states that the CICC will not take a position on
potential or pending situations before the court. The Coalition, however,
will continue to provide the most up-to-date information about the ICC.

Regards,

Mariana Rodriguez Pareja
Spanish Information Coordinator/ Latin America Analyst
Coalition for the International Criminal Court
********************************************************************


A. SANCTIONS AGAINST SUDAN:

1. Associated press "Bush announces new sanctions against Sudan for its role
in Darfur" May 29, 2007 (link not available)

"President George w. Bush ordered new U.S. Economic sanctions Tuesday to
pressure Sudan's government to halt the bloodshed in Darfur that the
administration has condemned as genocide. (.) the sanctions target
government-run companies involved in Sudan's oil industry, and three
individuals, including a rebel leader, suspected of being involved in the
violence in Darfur. (.) The treasury department said that Ahmad Muhammad
Harun, Sudan's state minister for humanitarian affairs, has been accused of
war crimes in Darfur by the international criminal court in The Hague.
Sudan's head of military intelligence and security, Awad Ibn auf, was also
designated, along with Khalil Ibrahim, leader of the justice and equality
movement, a rebel group that has refused to sign the Darfur peace agreement.
"Even in the face of sanctions, these individuals have continued to play
direct roles in the terrible atrocities of Darfur," said treasury secretary
Henry Paulson. "we are working to call attention to their horrific acts and
further isolate them from the international community."(.) Meanwhile, Liu
Guijin, china's new troubleshooter on Africa, defended Chinese investment in
Sudan Tuesday as a better way to stop the bloodshed rather than the
sanctions advocated by the US and other western governments."

2.  Associated press world stream "Bush announces new sanctions against
Sudan for its role in Darfur"- 29 May 2007 (link not available)

 "President George w. Bush ordered new U.S. Economic sanctions Tuesday to
pressure Sudan's government to halt the bloodshed in Darfur that the
administration has condemned as genocide. [.]  "I promise this to the people
of Darfur: the united states will not avert our eyes from a crisis that
challenges the conscience of the world," the President said. (.) Beyond the
new U.S. Sanctions, Bush directed secretary of state Condoleezza rice to
draft a proposed U.N. Resolution to strengthen international pressure on the
Sudanese government of President Omar al-Bashir. Save Darfur Coalition
director David Rubenstein welcomed the sanctions but said they might be too
little and too late. (.) "I call on President al-Bashir to stop his
obstruction and to allow the peacekeepers in and to end the campaign of
violence that continues to target innocent men, women and children," Bush
said.
"The US Also is targeting three individuals, cutting them off from the u.s.
Financial system to prevent them, too, from doing business with u.s.
Companies or individuals.
The treasury department said that Ahmad Muhammad Harun, Sudan's state
minister for humanitarian affairs, has been accused of war crimes in Darfur
by the international criminal court in The Hague. Sudan's head of military
intelligence and security, Awad Ibn auf, was also designated, along with
Khalil Ibrahim, leader of the justice and equality movement, a rebel group
that has refused to sign the Darfur peace agreement. (.) The U.N. Resolution
Bush is seeking would apply new international sanctions against the Sudanese
government in Khartoum. It also would seek to impose an expanded embargo on
arms sales to Sudan, prohibit Sudan's government from conducting offensive
military flights over Darfur and strengthen the u.s. Ability to monitor and
report any violations.[..]"

3. AP (Via ABC 7 News) "Bush announces new sanctions against Sudan for its
role in Darfur" - May 29, 2007,
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=nation_world&id=5348086
"President George w. Bush ordered new U.S. Economic sanctions Tuesday to
pressure Sudan's government to halt the bloodshed in Darfur that the
administration has condemned as genocide. (.) the sanctions target
government-run companies involved in Sudan's oil industry, and three
individuals, including a rebel leader, suspected of being involved in the
violence in Darfur. (.) The treasury department said that Ahmad Muhammad
Harun, Sudan's state minister for humanitarian affairs, has been accused of
war crimes in Darfur by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Sudan's head of military intelligence and security, Awad Ibn auf, was also
designated, along with Khalil Ibrahim, leader of the justice and equality
movement, a rebel group that has refused to sign the Darfur peace agreement.
"even in the face of sanctions, these individuals have continued to play
direct roles in the terrible atrocities of Darfur," said treasury secretary
Henry Paulson. "We are working to call attention to their horrific acts and
further isolate them from the international community."(.)

4.  AP (via The Times and Democrat) "Washington - President Bush ordered new
U.S.. Economic sanctions Tuesday to pressure Sudan's government to halt the
bloodshed in Darfur that the administration has condemned as genocide"- May
29, 2007
http://www.thetandd.com/articles/2007/05/29/ap/headlines/d8pe2jf00.txt
"I promise this to the people of Darfur: the United States will not avert
our eyes from a crisis that challenges the conscience of the world," the
President said. (..) "for too long the people of Darfur have suffered at the
hands of a government that is complicit in the bombing, murder and rape of
innocent civilians," the President said. "my administration has called these
actions by their rightful name: genocide." [.]

5. AP (via Axcess news) "US Treasury sanctions Sudanese" - May 29, 2007
http://www.axcessnews.com/index.php/articles/show/id/11110
The US treasury sanctioned three Sudanese businessmen Tuesday, citing two
high-ranking government officials and a rebel leader, for their roles in
fomenting violence and human rights abuses in Darfur.  In addition to the
three Sudanese, the treasury also sanctioned 31 companies.
US treasury secretary Henry Paulson said the Sudan sanctions were intended
to "further isolate them from the international community," calling the
three men's actions "horrific" for their involvement in the violence-torn
Darfur region of Sudan.  "Even in the face of sanctions, these individuals
have continued to play direct roles in the terrible atrocities of Darfur,"
said Paulson.
Ahmad Muhammad Harun, Sudan's state minister for humanitarian affairs, has
been accused of war crimes in Darfur by the international criminal court in
The Hague. Sudan's head of military intelligence and security, Awad Ibn auf,
was also designated today, along with Khalil Ibrahim, leader of the justice
and equality movement (JEM), a rebel group that has refused to sign the
Darfur peace agreement.
Harun and auf are among Khartoum's senior leadership and have acted as
liaisons between the Sudanese government and the government-supported
janjaweed militias, which have attacked and brutalized innocent civilians in
the region. The two individuals also have provided the janjaweed with
logistical support and directed attacks. Hundreds of thousands of people
have been killed and more than 2.5 million people have been displaced by
violence and war since 2003. Previously, Harun served as state minister for
the interior, and played a central role in coordinating and planning
military operations in Darfur between 2003 and 2005. In the 1990s he was
responsible for massacres in the Nuba Mountains and was nicknamed "the
butcher of Nuba." [.]

Some related articles:

1. AP online "Bush imposes new sanctions on Sudan"- May 29, 2007 (link not
available) 2. AP "Bush announces new sanctions against Sudan for its role in
Darfur"- May 29, 2007 (link not available) 3. CNN.com (with the Associated
Press) "US Imposes new sanctions against Sudan"- May 29, 2007
http://www.cnn.com/2007/politics/05/29/Bush.Sudan/index.html?section=cnn_lat
est
4.  USA Today "Bush orders new sanctions against Sudan"- May 29, 2007
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-05-29-sanction-Sudan_n.htm?csp=
34


B. REACTIONS: WARRANTS, GENDER CRIMES, MORENO OCAMPO'S MEETING WITH AMR
MUSSA and SUDANESE GOVERNMENT

1. Associated press online "Darfur women describe gang-rape horror" - May
28, 2007 (link not available) "The seven women pooled money to rent a donkey
and cart, then ventured out of the refugee camp to gather fire-wood, hoping
to sell it for cash to feed their families. Instead, they say, in a wooded
area just a few hours walk away, they were gang-raped, beaten and robbed.
Naked and devastated, they fled back to Kalma. (.) The women have no doubt
who attacked them. They say the men's camels and their uniforms marked them
as janjaweed the Arab militiamen accused of terrorizing the mostly black
African villagers of Sudan's Darfur region. (.) Now in its fourth year, the
conflict has become the world's worst humanitarian crisis, and rape is its
regular by-product, U.N. and other human rights activists say.
Sudan's government denies arming and unleashing the janjaweed, and bristles
at the charges of rape, saying its conservative Islamic society would never
tolerate it.
Meanwhile, more than 200,000 civilians have died and 2.5 million are
homeless out of Darfur's population of 6 mil-lion, the U.N. Says, and a
February report by the international criminal court alleges "mass rape of
civilians who were known not to be participants in any armed conflict." (.)
In May, after the top U.N. Human rights official charged that Sudanese
soldiers had raped at least 15 Darfur women during one recent incident,
justice minister Mohammed Ali al-Mardi asked where the evidence was.
"We always seem to get sweeping generalizations, without naming the injured,
without naming the offenders," he told reporters. [.]"

2. Guardian Weekly "International: Court issues Darfur warrants"- May 11,
2007 "The international criminal court announced last week that it had
issued arrest warrants for a janjaweed militia leader and a Sudanese
government minister suspected of involvement in murder, torture and rape in
Darfur.
However, Khartoum said it would not hand over the men - Ali Muhammad al
Abd-al-Rahman, known as ali Kushayb, and Ahmad Muhammad Harun, the state
minister for humanitarian affairs, who are accused of 41 and 50 counts
respectively of crimes against humanity and war crimes. [.]"

3. The Lawyer "ICC issues warrants to bring Sudanese war criminals to
trial"- May 28, 2007
http://www.thelawyer.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=126123&d=122&h=24&f=46
"The international criminal court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for two
suspected Sudanese war criminals, marking the first time people involved
with the violence in Darfur have faced sanction from the world's criminal
court.
Current Sudanese state minister for humanitarian affairs Ahmad Harun and
notorious janjawid militia leader Ali Kushayb face 51 counts of alleged
crimes against humanity and war crimes between them, which include murder,
persecution, the destruction of property, rape and torture.
Director of the Africa programme at Amnesty International Erwin van der
Borght said: "The decision by the ICC indicates an important step forward in
how the international community will deal with Sudan over the gross human
rights violations taking place in Darfur.
"It's no longer seen to be enough to just conduct political negotiations
over strengthening the current peacekeeping force in Darfur and to further
peace talks. Concrete steps must also be taken immediately to hold people to
account for the crimes being perpetrated." [.]"

4. Adnkronos International "Sudan: Hague court official buoyant Darfur
suspects will be arrested" - May 28, 2007
http://www.adnki.com/index_2level_english.php?cat=security&loid=8.0.41919010
6&par=
"The ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has expressed confidence that
two of the principal Darfur war crime suspects will be arrested, the Sudan
tribune internet news site reported Monday. Ocampo made these remarks
following his unannounced meeting with Arab league secretary-general Amr
Moussa in Cairo. Earlier this month judges at the Hague, Netherlands-based
ICC issued arrest warrants against the Sudan's humanitarian affairs Ahmed
Mohamed Haroun and a leader of the Khartoum supported janjaweed militia in
"Darfur, ali Kosheib.  (..) Ocampo briefed Moussa on the activities of the
ICC in Darfur in an apparent bid to rally Arab support for any looming
showdown with Sudan over the handing over of the two suspects. Ocampo told
reporters in Cairo that the ICC will "take all necessary measures should
Sudan insist on defying the extradition request". [.]"

5.  The Sudan Tribune "ICC prosecutor tells Sudan to hand over Darfur
suspects"-May 28 Http://www.Sudantribune.com/spip.php?article22080
"The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Luis
Moreno-Ocampo expressed his confidence that the arrest warrants against the
two Darfur war crime suspects will be executed. (.) The Sudanese ambassador
in Cairo Abdelmoniem Mabrouk dismissed Ocampo's remarks as contradictory to
the principle of "complementarity" as defined by the Rome Statue which
allows ICC to investigate only in the absence of "genuine national
proceedings". Mabrouk stressed that Sudan has already conducted its own
judicial proceedings in Darfur war crimes. (.)"

6.  Sudan Vision Daily "Sudan says ICC has no jurisdiction over its
nationals"- May 28, 2007 http://www.smc.sd/en/artopic.asp?artid=14955&ack=ea
"The Sudan government has announced that it is thwarting the operation of
the international criminal court as the later has no jurisdiction over its
nationals. The ICC chief prosecutor, Luis Mor(e)no Ocampo has stated that he
has sufficient evidence to try Ahmed Haroun and Ghosaib in ICC court in the
Hague and as such they are bound to appear before the court for details to
the incidents under charge.
Responding to Ocampo's statement, the Sudanese minister of justice Mohammed
Ali al Mardi noted that neither of the indicts have any intention to appear
before the ICC court as they both do not recognize its authority to try
either of them in case legal charges have been established against them.
Al Mardi reiterated the absence of ICC jurisdiction over Sudan, saying that
Sudan won't bow to pressures from any party as its position is legally
correct, solid and clear.
The minister of justice comments came in the back drop of the briefing
delivered to the Arab league secretary general Amro Musa by Ocampo on his
activities in Darfur.[.]"


C. SUDAN GOVERNMENT - UN-AU:

1.  The Sudan Tribune, "Sudan hints its rejection of un-au report on Darfur
hybrid force"
May 29, 2007 http://www.Sudantribune.com/spip.php?article22088
"Sudan's government has suggested that some of the proposals set forth in
the UN-AU report on Darfur hybrid force violate the terms of the Abuja peace
accord. The spokesman for Sudan's foreign ministry Ali al-Sadek called the
joint report "illogical" since Sudan did not take part in preparing it.
The United Nations and the African Union (AU) have finalized a report on
their proposed joint peacekeeping operation in Sudan's strife-torn Darfur
region last week. The UN Security Council endorsed the report in a
non-binding statement issued last Friday. The report proposed two options
for the military force - one with 19,500 troops including 18 infantry
battalions and the other with 17,605 troops including 15 infantry
battalions.
Al-Sadek stressed that the number of troops deployed to Darfur was to be
determined by the tripartite commission consisting of UN, AU and Khartoum in
accordance with the Abuja peace agreement. He accused some parties of
blocking the implementation of the first and second phase of un-au hybrid
force as outlined by the Addis Addebba communiqué signed last November.
Sudanese officials have consistently said that the number of troops proposed
by the un is too large. Sudan's envoy to the UN Abadalhaleem Abdalmahmood
has criticized what he called "jumping over stages policy adopted by those
who are speaking about hybrid operation at a time that the second phase of
heavy support package did not begin". Khartoum wants the UN to fund the
African Union forces and provide logistical support only. (.) But Khartoum
has accepted only the first two stages of the plan, accusing the western
powers of plotting to recolonize the country under the guise of the UN
mission. Critics say Sudan fears U.N. Troops would enforce international
criminal court warrants for the arrests of war crimes suspects. [.]"


D. ANALYSIS, REPORTS AND EDITORIALS:

1. IWPR "Court Outreach under Fire: The Court Is Urged To Invest More In
Outreach Work, As Misinformation About Its Activities Mounts" by Sara
Goodman In The Hague
Accessible at: http://www.iwpr.net/?p=acr&s=f&o=335796&apc_state=henh
"The ICC is facing enormous obstacles in educating the people of Sudan about
the process of international justice. Faced with a hostile Khartoum
government and continued violence in Darfur, prosecution investigators and
outreach programmes are forced to operate from neighboring countries, such
as Chad.
The Khartoum government rejects the court and works against it while the
level of violence and resulting security concerns make it impossible to
maintain an outreach presence in the troubled west of the country.
Claudia Perdomo, outreach coordinator at the ICC, said the court is now
focusing on Sudanese refugee camps in Chad as a primary way to inform people
of the activities.
(.)
Wasil Ali, a reporter from the Sudan tribune, who follows the situation in
Sudan closely, said the outreach initiative in Chad is an important move,
and one of the only real options the court has, given the situation in
Sudan. "They are finally starting to address the [information] problem," he
said.
The ICC is also working at translating important documents into Arabic, the
main Sudanese language; providing local media with the updates on court
activities; putting together a special radio programme for the refugee camps
and developing relations with the Sudanese diaspora.
However, some experts say the ICC has not done enough to communicate its key
messages to the region, notwithstanding the obstacles and challenges it
faces in Sudan.
(.)  for example, the Khartoum authorities have said the international
community is using the ICC to try to invade Sudan; that the united states is
behind the court; and that it has no jurisdiction in Sudan. [.]"

2.  The Brunei Times "Ostrich-like attitude of Sudan"- May 29, 2007
http://www.bruneitimes.com.bn/details.php?shape_id=31586
"No words are strong enough to condemn the reported gang rapes of women in
war-torn Darfur. The strongest of measures should be slapped both on the
alleged perpetrators from amongst the janjaweed militia, and the government
of Sudan for the lamest of denial of the atrocity occurring simply based on
its belief that the Islamic society there would have not allowed it to
happen. (.)
The women say the men's camels and their uniforms marked them as janjaweed
the Arab militiamen accused of terrorizing the mostly black African
villagers of Sudan's Darfur region. Their story, confirmed by other women
and aid workers in the camp, provides a glimpse into the hell that Darfur
has become as the government battles a rebellion stoked by a history of
discrimination and neglect. Now in its fourth year, the conflict has become
the world's worst humanitarian crisis, and rape is its regular byproduct, UN
and other human rights activists say.
"According to the report, Sudan's government denies arming and unleashing
the janjaweed, and bristles at the charges of rape, saying its conservative
Islamic society would never tolerate it," the news agency went on in its
report.
Rapes and sexual violence are against Islam but they do take place amongst
Muslim communities. They are an outrageous violation of human rights by
people who have effectively abandoned their faith as soon as they committed
the ugly deeds, and in conflict situations women become even more vulnerable
to this form of violence. If the report is accurate, Sudan's denial is the
worst ostrich-like attitude on the part of the government.
More than 200,000 civilians have died and 2.5 million are homeless out of
Darfur's population of six million, according to the UN, and a February
report by the international criminal court alleges "mass rape of civilians
who were known not to be participants in any armed conflict". (.)
 Those who study Islam in earnest would know that no part in the faith
tolerates such gross violation of human rights. In fact, even in the
severest conflict situations, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) forbade
the killing and violence against women and children. Muslim communities that
blame the victims of rape are not Islamic at all.
The perpetrators of the horrendous crime are not Islamic; they are simply
criminals who should be made to pay the heaviest requital."


CICC's policy on the referral and prosecution of situations before the
ICC:

The Coalition for the ICC is not an organ of the court. The CICC is an
independent NGO movement dedicated to the establishment of the International
criminal court as a fair, effective, and independent International
organization. The Coalition will continue to provide the most up-to-date
information about the ICC and to help coordinate global Action to
effectively implement the Rome statute of the ICC. The Coalition will also
endeavor to respond to basic queries and to raise Awareness about the ICC's
trigger mechanisms and procedures, as they Develop. The Coalition as a
whole, and its secretariat, do not endorse or promote specific
investigations or prosecutions or take a position on Situations before the
ICC. However, individual CICC members May endorse
Referrals, provide legal and other support on investigations, or develop
Partnerships with local and other organizations in the course of their
Efforts.

Communications to the ICC can be sent to:
ICC
P.O. box 19519
2500 cm The Hague
The Netherlands