Warrants for Darfur war crimes issued

Updated 15.57 Wed May 02 2007
Keywords: International Criminal Court, Khartoum, Sudan, Darfur

International Criminal Court judges have issued their first arrest warrants for suspects accused of war crimes in Sudan's Darfur region, but the Sudanese government has insisted it will not hand anyone over.

Warrants were issued for Ahmed Haroun, former state minister of interior, and militia commander Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-al-Rahman, also know as Ali Kushayb.

The court said prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo had found "reasonable grounds to believe" the two were responsible for murder, rape, and torture

In a statement, the court said prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo had found "reasonable grounds to believe" the two were responsible for murder, rape, and torture, as well as the forced displacement of villages.

"The judges have issued arrest warrants. As the territorial state, the government of the Sudan has a legal duty to arrest Ahmed Haroun and Ali Kushayb," the prosecutor said.

"This is the International Criminal Court's decision, and the government has to respect it."

However, Sudan's Justice Minister Mohamed Ali Al-Mardi has announced that Khartoum will not give up the suspects.

"We do not recognise the International Criminal Court ... and we will not hand over any Sudanese even from the rebel groups who take up weapons against the government. Our position is clear and nothing has happened for us to change it."

The men were named in February by prosecutors as the first suspects in their investigations into the conflict, in which 200,000 people have been killed.

It began in 2003 when rebels took up arms against the government leading to Sudan arming militias, who have been accused of atrocities in the conflict. Khartoum denies arming so-called Janjaweed militia, calling them outlaws.

Sudan has said the ICC has no jurisdiction to try its citizens for crimes in Darfur, and in February announced it would try Mr Kushayb itself on unspecified charges related to Darfur. His case was delayed in March.

The ICC, the world's first permanent war crimes court, began work in 2002 and is now supported by 104 nations, although still not by Russia, China and the US.

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