Sudan To Hand Over Hassan Omar Al-Bashir To ICC

The former president of Sudan Omar Al-Bashir will be handed to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for trial over genocide and war crimes as Sudan official has announced.

Al-Bashir who was indicted for over a decade was ousted from his seat by the Sudan military after massive nationwide protests by the Sudan citizens and has been arrested since April 2019.

Omar al-Bashir is facing two counts of war crimes at the ICC and five counts of crimes against humanity which he committed during his 30-year rule over Sudan.

During Bashir’s regime, over 300,000 people were killed in massive bombings and attacks and about 2.7 million civilians were left homeless. The attacks were done by the Sudan Government and a militia group known as Janjaweed.

Bashir was the first African sitting president to be charged by ICC over war crimes and genocide with his first warrant of arrest being issued in March 2009 and the second being issued in July 2010.

An agreement reached between the Sudanese Government and the Darfur’s Rebel Movement confirmed that Al-Bashir was one of those leaders who was not going to be spared when others would be handed to the ICC for trial.

A Sudan top official confirmed that all leaders that were involved in the war crimes in Darfur between 2003 and 2008, including the former president Omar Al-Bashir, will be handed over to the ICC for trial as opposed to claims that they would be tried at home.

Other leaders who were indicted during the hostile Bashir’s regime were Abdel-Rahim Muhammad Hussein, an interior and defense minister during much of the conflict, and Ahmed Haroun, a senior security chief at the time and later the leader of al-Bashir’s ruling party.

“We agreed that everyone who had arrest warrants issued against them will appear before the ICC. I’m saying it very clearly,” said Mohammed Hassan al-Taishy, a member of the military-civilian Sovereign Council and a government negotiator.

“We can only achieve justice if we heal the wounds with justice itself. We cannot escape from confronting that, “Taishy affirmed.

Since the warrants were issued for his arrest by the ICC, Bashir has been unreachable despite him visiting other countries and even going to the world cup 2018 that was held in Russia. The chap was even sported playing with a ball at the Russian airport during the welcoming ceremony.

Sudan has now confirmed that the former leaders will be tried at the ICC and not at home as previously announced.