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ICC Suspect Al-Bashir Travels to Djibouti: Related News and Opinions

09 May 2011

Dear all,

A number of news agencies have reported that Sudanese President and International Criminal Court (ICC) suspect Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir travelled to Djibouti on 7-8 May 2011 to attend the inaugural ceremony of Djibouti's president Ismail Omar Guelleh.

President al-Bashir is under two ICC arrest warrants for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed in Darfur. Djibouti is a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC - the founding treaty of the first permanent international court capable of trying perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. By welcoming al-Bashir on its territory and failing to arrest him, Djibouti has violated its obligation to cooperate fully with the Court.

Please find below the latest media news articles and opinions relating to these developments.

For more information the Court's investigation in Darfur, Sudan, visit: http://www.coalitionfortheicc.org/?mod=darfur

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

Best regards,

CICC Secretariat
www.coalitionfortheicc.org

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ICC SUSPECT AL-BASHIR'S TRAVEL TO DJIBOUTI: RELATED NEWS AND OPINIONS

1. "Djibouti becomes third ICC member to receive Sudanese president," SUDAN TRIBUNE, 8 May 2011, http://www.sudantribune.com/Djibouti-becomes-third-ICC-member,38809

"The Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir arrived unexpectedly in Djibouti on Saturday to take part in the inauguration ceremony of Ismail Omar Guelleh that will start tomorrow, state media reported.

... Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned Djibouti's decision to receive Bashir. "Djibouti's welcoming of Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir is an affront to victims of the horrific crimes committed in Darfur," said Balkees Jarrah, international justice counsel with Human Rights Watch.

"As a state party to the International Criminal Court, Djibouti is obligated to arrest al-Bashir, who is charged with genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity by the court. Activists across the African continent have repeatedly called on their governments to support the ICC and arrest al-Bashir or at least bar him entry to their territories."

The ICC has no police force and relies on state cooperation to enforce arrests. Despite this Bashir has had to cancel several regional and international appearances since the court order in 2009.

... Kenya and Chad are the two countries from ICC members that have agreed to receive Bashir in the past. However, both nations later hesitated to allow him to visit at subsequent events held on its territories."

2. "Sudan's Bashir travels to Djibouti", Radio Netherlands Worldwide, 9 May 2010, http://www.rnw.nl/international-justice/article/sudans-bashir-travels-djibouti

"Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, travelled Saturday to Djibouti, which is a state party to the ICC, for the inauguration of its re-elected leader, state media said.

Sudan's official SUNA news agency reported that Bashir went to Djibouti with a ministerial delegation to attend Sunday's inauguration ceremony of President Ismael Omar Guelleh, who won a third term in office in elections last month. The first sitting head of state to be targeted by an ICC warrant, Bashir faces charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan's western region of Darfur.

The Rome Statute dictates that any state party to the statute should arrest him if he visits that particular country. Bashir has not travelled to Djibouti since he was first indicted by the ICC in 2009. The warrants have hampered Bashir's movements outside Sudan, although a number of African countries have hosted him without arresting him, including Kenya and Chad, which are also state party to the court. ...."

3. "U.S. & French officials present at Djibouti inauguration with Sudan's Bashir, SUDAN TRIBUNE, 8 May 2011, http://www.sudantribune.com/U-S-French-officials-present-at,38828

"U.S. and French officials were present at the inauguration ceremony of Djibouti president Ismail Omar Guelleh on Sunday along with Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.

France, Djibouti's former colonial ruler, was represented at the inauguration by Cooperation Minister Henri de Raincourt while the United States sent its deputy assistant secretary of state for African affairs, Karl Wycoff.

... Kenneth Roth, the Executive Director of HRW, also chided Djibouti on a twitter entry saying that they should have never invited Bashir and said that other states should boycott to respect Darfur victims. ...."

4. "Sudan's Bashir travels to Djibouti: state media,"AFP, 8 May 2011, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ghAXK8qKuIGqEp10FQOK5kZs1Glg?docId=CNG.0ade78defc2875bf3eb3e6867300e47f.571

"Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, travelled Saturday to Djibouti, which is party to the ICC, for the inauguration of its re-elected leader, state media said.

... Chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo accuses Bashir of personally instructing his forces to annihilate the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups.

About 300,000 people have died since conflict broke out in Darfur in 2003, when non-Arab rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum for a greater share of resources and power, according to UN figures.

Sudan's government says 10,000 have been killed."

5. "Sudan's Bashir Attends Djibouti President's Inauguration," VOA, 8 May 2011, http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Sudans-Bashir-Attends-Djibouti-Presidents-Inauguration-121463729.html

"Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh has been sworn in for a third term, in a ceremony attended by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted for war crimes.

The International Criminal Court indicted Bashir in 2009 for alleged war crimes in Sudan's Darfur region. An ICC arrest warrant calls for any member country he visits to arrest him.

Bashir's visit to Djibouti's capital marks the third time he has visited an ICC member country without the threat of detention.

The Sudanese president has also attended events in ICC member states Kenya and Chad without being arrested. Each visit has been criticized by human rights groups.

Other dignitaries who attended Guelleh's swearing-in ceremony include Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. ... ."

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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