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Darfur I: Governments React to Prosecutor's Application; al-Bashir Visits Darfur; CNN Interview with Sudanese Ambassador to the UN

23 July 2008

Dear all,

This is the first of a three-part message on the current situation in Darfur, Sudan and the repercussions on last week's application by the ICC Prosecutor to the Pre-Trial Chamber I to issue a warrant of arrest under against Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur.

Please find below reactions from different actors in Africa, Asia and the Arab world; media articles, including the visit of President al-Bashir's to Darfur.

For more information on Darfur and the ICC, please visit the Coalition's site at http://coalitionfortheicc.org/?mod=darfur

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 and current situations before the Court or situations under analysis. The Coalition, however, will continue to

provide the most up-to-date information about the ICC.

Best regards,

Mariana Rodríguez-Pareja

CICC Communications

[email protected]

I. GOVERNEMENTS REACT TO PROSECUTOR'S APPLICATION. SUDAN SEEKS SUPPORT IN THE REGION

i. "Syria Opposes Bashir Arrest Bid", Al Alam, 18 Jul 2008

http://www.alalam.ir/english/en-NewsPage.asp?newsid=031030120080722200020

"The official news agency SANA quoted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as saying 'the leaders and Syrian people reject the decision by the [ICC] prosecutor [Luis Moreno Ocampo].' [...] Assad, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Arab League, described the move as 'an attempt to blackmail Sudan, as well as a flagrant interference in its internal affairs.' The Syrian leader said Damascus 'will do everything necessary to support Sudan in the face of plans aiming at its security and stability.'

Meanwhile Algerian minister for African affairs has also said that ICC chief prosecutor's move to indict Bashir is undermining peace in Darfur.

'The decision of the prosecutor .... endangers the process of a political and peaceful resolution to the Darfur' conflict, Abdelkader Messahel was quoted as saying in the government daily El Moudjahid...."

ii. "ICC charges against Sudan pres. political: Iran," Iran mania, 18 Jul 2008 http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=60157&NewsKind=Current Affairs

"Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says the International Criminal Court's accusations against Sudanese President are political and insignificant, PressTV reported.

'The recent charges brought against Sudan's President, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, are politically motivated and yet trivial. The world's bullying powers hinder the process of independence seeking states, by any possible means,' Larijani said in a meeting with the special envoy of Sudan's President, Ghazi Salah al-Din..."

iii. "Africa: Sudanese Ambassador Lauds Eritrea's Support in Sudanese Issue,"All Africa, 22 Jul 2008

http://allafrica.com/stories/200807221174.html

"The Sudanese Ambassador to Eritrea, Mr. Salah Mohammed Al-Hassan, lauded the support of the people and Government of Eritrea in the Sudanese issue and asserted that relations between the two peoples is historical. He made the remarks in an interview with ERI-TV.

As regards the decision of the 'International Criminal Court,' the Ambassador pointed out that its indictment of President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir and other top Sudanese officials for 'human rights violations' in the Darfur region is illegal by all standards..."

iv. "Eritrea: Statement of the Foreign Ministry," All Africa, 22 Jul 2008

http://allafrica.com/stories/200807221172.html

[Note that this is the text of the official press release by the Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs]

"The drama that has unfolded in the past few days in the name of the 'International Criminal Court' has baffled many observers. This phenomenon, which can only be interpreted as an 'insult', is a manifestation of the harassment that has been accumulating. As such it must be rejected and challenged.

The people and political forces of the Sudan should go beyond this to prevent interference in and 'internationalization' of their domestic affairs. This can only be done if mistakes done in the past are rectified to pave the way for a genuine Sudanese internal solution..."

v."Majali receives the Sudanese Ambassador to Jordan," Jordanian News Agency, 22 July 2008 [link not available]

"Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament Abdul Hadi Majali on Tuesday received Sudanese Ambassador to Jordan Mohamad Othman and discussed with him the latest developments and the Sudanese parliamentary communications in light of the accusations of the International Criminal Court's Attorney General against Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir as well as the Arab League's resolution taken in this regard. Majali stressed Jordan's support to Arab League's resolution in this issue and to the unity and stability in Sudan for the interest of the brethren Sudanese people and for ending the conflicts that hinder the development and prosperity in Sudan...."

vi. "Tanzania; Sudan Lauds Dar's Stand On ICC Move," Africa News, 20 July 2008 http://allafrica.com/stories/200807210101.html

"The Sudanese government has expressed its gratitude to Tanzanian for denouncing the indictment against president Omar al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

.... Early last week, the Tanzanian Government through the minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Bernard Membe, opposed plans to arrest President al-Bashir..."

vii. "Sudan seeks India's support against ICC's indictment," Thaindian, 22 July 2008

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/sudan-seeks-indias-support-against-iccs-indictment_10074681.html

"Sudan Tuesday sought India's support in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) for mobilising international opinion against the decision of International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo to indict President Omar Hassan al-Bashir on charges of genocide in Darfur. 'We need the support of India in the NAM. The support of India is very important,' Sudan's ambassador to India Abdel Rahman Mohamed Bakhiet told reporters here. ...

India has yet to officially react on this issue..."

viii. "Beshir seeks Kadhafi support in Darfur war crimes crisis," AFP, 20 July 2008

http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/MiddleEast/ECBB1E18039BD3FAC225748D00564623?OpenDocument

"Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir on Sunday sent an envoy to seek Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's support against legal moves over the conflict in Darfur, the state news agency JANA reported.

Vice President Ali Osman Mohammed Taha briefed Kadhafi on the legal action undertaken by the International Criminal Court and 'the serious consequences they could have on the stability of Sudan and the region,' it said..."

See also: "Libyan leader receives Sudanese envoys over ICC," BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political, 20 July 2008

http://www.libyaonline.com/news/

ix. "Parliament announces solidarity with Sudan over ICC decision," Yemen News Agency, 19 July 2008

http://www.sabanews.net/en/news159351.htm

"The Parliament announced on Saturday solidarity of the Yemeni people with Sudan over the recent decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The parliament highlighted official stance of Yemen's leaderships represented by President Ali Abdullah Saleh who rejected all accusation presented by the general prosecutor of the court against Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir..."

II. CHINA AND SUDAN

i. "China envoy 'determined' to solve Darfur issue with international community,"

BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific, 18 July 2008

[link not available]

Text of report by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency)

"Liu Guijin, the Chinese government's special envoy on the Darfur issue, said in Beijing today: China will not change its determination to work with the international community to solve the Darfur issue.

In an interview on the Darfur issues with some Chinese and foreign journalists in Beijing, Liu Guijin said: Despite many factors of instability in the local situation, the Chinese government has risked danger to completely fulfil the promise to send 315 peacekeeping engineering troops to the Darfur region.

Following the International Criminal Court's indictment of the Sudanese leader, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern over the security issue of the UN/AU Sudan-Darfur hybrid peacekeeping forces in the Darfur region. Even under such circumstances, China's 172-member follow-up engineering detachment for participating in the 'hybrid forces' still set off from Zhengzhou, Henan, on the evening of 16 July. The detachment is now deployed in the Darfur region. Thus far, all of the 315 troops China promised to send are in the Darfur region..."

III. AL-BASHIR VISITED DARFUR

i. "Sudanese president to visit Darfur on Wednesday," Sudan tribune, 21 July 2008

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article27954

"President Omer Hassan al-Bashir will visits Darfur next week for the first time since his indictment by the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Al Bashir will visit North and South Darfur states on Wednesday 23 July amid a national and international mobilisation orchestrated by the ruling National Congress Party denouncing the request of the Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo who charged al-Bashir of three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder..."

ii. "Beshir dances in Darfur under war crimes cloud,"AFP, 23 July 2008

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5irq8g_TRaIRaUDO9WFiXZbNSltUw

"Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir danced before supporters on a visit to Darfur on Wednesday bristling with security and dismissed accusations that he masterminded genocide in the region.

Travelling in convoy, backed by a helicopter and soldiers, police and national security driving in vehicles mounted with machine guns, Beshir arrived in El Fasher, the old Darfur capital, greeted by 5,000 to 6,000 supporters.

Civil servants, tribesmen, students, men on camels and horses cheered the head of state, pledging allegiance and slamming a bid from the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for Beshir's arrest over suspected war crimes.

School pupils were recruited for the rally and one government employee said staff were ordered to go to disused land under the searing sun, where a grinning Beshir danced to nationalist music, jabbing the air with his stick...."

iii. "Bashir offers peace, aid in defiant Darfur tour," Reuters, 23 July 2008

http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnMCD335413.html

"udanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, in a show of defiance, made his first visit to Darfur on Wednesday since the International Criminal Court prosecutor accused him of genocide and war crimes and sought his arrest.

Dancing to traditional music and chanting Islamic slogans, Bashir addressed thousands of Darfuris in the regional capital el-Fasher, his promises of development and peace drawing cheers from onlookers who surged forward to get closer to him.

'We all know that injustices happened (here),' he said, in a speech broadcast live on state television. 'But from day one we have been working to provide stability for all the people of Darfur.

'We want to send this message to the world: we are the people of peace, we want peace ... we are the only ones who can achieve peace in Darfur.' Bashir will visit all three Darfur states in his two-day tour..."

IV. NEWS FROM DARFUR

i. "Al-Bashir tells Al-Jazeera never to hand over any Sudanese to ICC," BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political, July 21, 2008 [link not available]

Text of report by Qatari government-funded, pan-Arab news channel Al-Jazeera satellite TV on 21 July

"[Announcer-read report over video] In a first direct response to the arrest warrant issued by the prosecutor general of the International Criminal Court [ICC], Sudanese President Umar al-Bashir has stressed that he categorically rejects any political blackmail or attempts to exercise pressure on his country. He also reiterated refusal to hand over any Sudanese citizen to be tried by the ICC.

[President Al-Bashir] We reiterate rejection of any interference in the Sudanese affairs, regardless of the party involved. We are ready to defend ourselves, our land, and our decisions. We will never yield to any political blackmail or pressure attempts. There is some talk now that if the first two wanted Sudanese figures are handed over, the Sudanese president will be set free. We would like to affirm that we will never handover any Sudanese citizen. [end recording]... "

ii. "Sudanese cleric urges Muslim faithful not to surrender Al-Bashir,"BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political, 18 July 2008

The Friday prayer sermon on 18 July 2008 was broadcast live on Sudan TV starting 1030 gmt from the Al-Shahid Mosque in Khartoum. The preacher was Shaykh Abd al-Jalil Nadir al-Karuri.

The first sermon lasted 15 minutes and dealt mainly with religious issues, while the second lasted 12 minutes and dealt with the International Criminal Court [ICC ] Chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo's intention to seek an arrest warrant against President Umar al-Bashir.

The preacher said 'After the threats that the president may stand trial at the ICC, we might witness one of two scenarios. Either the president is removed from office internally and replaced with a president who is loyal to the World Order, or the country is invaded and another president is brought in, who is [also] loyal to the World Order.'

He said there were several examples of this, citing Palestine and Lebanon as one model and Afghanistan and Iraq as another.

He then asked rhetorically, 'Which of these would you choose, O people of Sudan?'

.... Shaykh Al-Karuri warned that 'this is the fate of those who cooperate' and wondered how some can 'ask Al-Bashir to be brave and turn himself in [to the ICC].'..."

iii. "Sudanese president receives demonstrators against ICC," BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political, 19 July 2008 [link not available]

"Sudanese President Umar al-Bashir on 19 July received demonstrators who were protesting against the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor's application for an arrest warrant against him.

Sudanese state TV showed the president, dressed in Muslim attire, waving to the protesters with a walking stick..."

iv. "Sudanese UN Ambassador Interviewed; Israel and the Next American President; Discussing World Affairs," CNN, 20 July 2008

[link not available]

".....ZAKARIA: The International Criminal Court made history this week, filing charges for the first time against a sitting head of state, President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan. [....]

ROBERTSON: President Bashir has long denied accusations of genocide. His government officials insist only 10,000 people have died, and claim no international laws have been broken.

(END VIDEO)

ZAKARIA: The denials continue.

In the conversation I just had with Ambassador Mohamad, he expressed shock and horror at the charges.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

ABDALMAHMOOD ABDALHALEEM MOHAMAD, SUDANESE AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: It is very outrageous, an affront to the nation, condemnable in the strongest terms, most irresponsible and badly timed, also.

ZAKARIA: But what is your -- what is your defense?

MOHAMAD: Yes. Because first, we are very sure about the innocence of our leadership, very well -- great leader that brought peace to Sudan following Africa's longest civil war. And also because the prosecutor general move (ph) would definitely impact negatively on the situation in Darfur, and also...

ZAKARIA: Is that a threat to peacekeepers and humanitarian workers there? Are you threatening that those workers will be in harm's way now?

MOHAMAD: No, no. We are not threatening them. In fact, we are victims. We cannot victimize others. But we are saying that...

...... ZAKARIA: Mr. Ambassador, why would the entire world be against your government, if there were not evidence?

This is not just an American issue. European governments feel the same way. The International Court feels the same way. Humanitarian organizations feel the same way.

Independent media analysis has all shown that your government has used proxies to wage a war, first in South Sudan, then in the Nuba Mountains, and now in Darfur.

MOHAMAD: This is an absolutely false statement. It's a political statement, very loaded one -- usually, you know, mentioned and repeated by forces hostile to the country...."

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