Sudan’s military council will not hand over al-Bashir to ICC

April 12, 2019 Newsbeat

Head of the military council’s political committee, Lieutenant-General Omar Zain al-Abdin (File: Sudan News Agency)

April 12th 2019 (SSNN) – Sudan’s Military Council which ousted the country’s long-time serving President, Omar Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir, yesterday said on Friday that it will not hand over the former President to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Al-Bashir, who took power from a civilian government in a bloodless coup in 1989, is wanted by the ICC on charges of genocide and war crimes committed in Darfur between 2003 and 2008.

“We will not deliver the President abroad during our period,” the head of the military council’s political committee, Lieutenant-General Omar Zain al-Abdin told journalists during a news conference in the capital Khartoum.

Amnesty International called on Sudanese authorities to hand over al-Bashir and three others over to the ICC to face justice.

“We must not forget that justice is long overdue. Omar al-Bashir is wanted for some of the most odious human rights violations of our generation, and we need to finally see him held accountable,” Amnesty said on its website.

The first warrant for arrest for Omar al-Bashir was issued on March 4 2009 and the second one on July 12 2010.

A number of countries have since been accused of failing to arrest al-Bashir despite the arrest warrants. Some of the countries include South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kenya.

Omar al-Bashir was ousted from power by the military following months of civilian protests against his 30-year rule.