Concern Growing in Sudan over Attempt to Charge President | Voice of America - English
Demonstrations are expected in the Sudanese capital Khartoum to protest the decision of the International Criminal Court's (ICC) chief prosecutor to bring war crimes charges against President Omar al-Bashir.  As Derek Kilner reports from VOA's East Africa bureau in Nairobi, the announcement has been greeted with concern by many in Sudan, including opposition party leaders and the former southern rebels sharing power in the national government.The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has requested a warrant to arrest President Omar al-Bashir on charges of genocide, war crimes
The chiefprosecutor of the International Criminal Court has requested a warrantto arrest President Omar al-Bashir on charges of genocide, war crimes,and crimes against humanity in the conflict in the Darfur region ofwestern Sudan. Thousands of people participated ingovernment-organized protests in support of President Omar al-Bashirduring the weekend, and further demonstrations are expected in Khartoum. Butmany Sudanese groups often hostile to the ruling National CongressParty are also expressing concern about the charges against thepresident. "Wethink that a lot of atrocities [were] committed in Darfur," said Abdel Nabi Ali Ahmed, secretary-general of the opposition Umma Party. "And those who are responsible for these atrocities must be broughtbefore justice. But then, also, we have to take into considerationthat the last announcement most probably will make a havoc situation inthe Sudan, where the system is now very fragile and the possibility ofa total collapse of the state is highly anticipated." He said Sudan should be given more time to resolve its problems internally, with more participation from the general public. "Upto now the international community does not take into consideration themasses of the Sudanese, always talking about the rebels and thegovernment," he added. "And that is why the situation is verycomplicated, because it is high time that the masses of the Sudaneseshould address their own problems. So what do we suggest? A nationalconference with certain agenda which should be attended by all theSudanese, the parties, the rebels, and others to find the way out." TheUmma and other opposition parties in northern Sudan have longcomplained that they have been sidelined by peace negotiations betweenthe government and rebels, whether in the south or in Darfur. Theformer southern rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement(SPLM), who have shared power with the National Congress Party in atense coalition government since a 2005 peace agreement, have alsoraised concern with the pursuit of the Bashir indictment. Riek Machar is vice president of Sudan's semi-autonomous southern region, which is run by the former rebels. "Thisis regrettable that the prosecutor general has requested warrants ofindictment of President Bashir," he said. "When the ICC prosecutorgeneral indicted two Sudanese officials, our attitude in the SPLM wasto advise the National Congress, which is headed by President Bashir,that they should engage the ICC. And this to avert what has happenednow, but this has happened." Machar says is optimistic that theimplementation of the peace agreement, including national electionsscheduled for next year, will go ahead. Meanwhile, U.N.mission spokesman Brian Kelly says some staff members are leavingDarfur, with fears of retaliation against Western operations in thecountry "There is a temporary relocation of non-essential staff,some may be relocated to neighboring countries, and some internallywithin various sectors in Darfur," he said. "The security situation ismonitored and assessed on a regular basis, so there is an ongoingreview of the security situation." He says non-essential staff in Khartoum have been told to stay home, but operations in southern Sudan have not been affected. Securityfears in Darfur were already high after gunmen ambushed a U.N.-AfricanUnion patrol in Darfur last week, killing seven peacekeepers. TheUnited Nations says its peacekeeping operations are continuing asnormal.