Share

Bashir to face ICC for war crimes as Sudan vows to hand over ousted autocrat

Sudan has agreed to hand ousted autocrat Omar al-Bashir and others to the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Darfur, a member of Khartoum's ruling body said Tuesday.

The Hague-based ICC has charged Bashir and three of his former aides with genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Sudan's western region during a brutal conflict from 2003.

"Those who have been indicted by the ICC, they have to go there," Mohamed Hassan Al-Taishay, a member of the ruling sovereign council, was quoted as saying in a statement.

His remarks came as a government delegation and met rebel groups in the South Sudanese capital of Juba.

READ | Sudanese celebrate, demand justice on uprising anniversary

He said the talks revolved on achieving justice and reconciliation in Darfur, where the United Nations says about 300 000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the conflict erupted.

Charge sheet

Taishay said they had agreed several mechanisms for achieving peace in the region.

"First, all those who have been indicted by ICC should appear before the ICC," he said. "Second, a special court be set up to investigate crimes committed in Darfur."

The conflict in Darfur, the size of France, erupted when ethnic minority African rebels took up arms against Bashir's then Arab-dominated government, accusing it of marginalising the region economically and politically.

ALSO READ | Sudan free from Bashir but effects of sanctions linger

The ICC has charged Bashir with genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in the conflict.

Three of his former aides are also wanted by ICC: Ahmed Haroon, Abdulrahim Mohamed Hussain and Ali Kushied.

Bashir was ousted by the army in a palace coup last April after months of protests against his iron-fisted rule of three decades.

He is currently held at a prison in Khartoum.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
67% - 923 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
33% - 450 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.82
+1.0%
Rand - Pound
23.49
+1.3%
Rand - Euro
20.12
+1.4%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.28
+0.9%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+2.3%
Platinum
922.40
-0.3%
Palladium
962.50
-2.8%
Gold
2,336.05
+0.2%
Silver
27.24
-0.7%
Brent Crude
89.01
+1.1%
Top 40
69,358
+1.3%
All Share
75,371
+1.4%
Resource 10
62,363
+0.4%
Industrial 25
103,903
+1.3%
Financial 15
16,161
+2.3%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE