On 19 September, the International Criminal Court (ICC) served yet another warrant for the arrest of Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir in the event he goes to New York to attend the UN General Assembly meeting due to be held later this month. Al-Bashir is wanted on seven charges related to crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Darfur. This is not the first warrant to be issued against him by the ICC. Two earlier warrants — issued 4 March 2009 and 12 July 2010 — cite the same charges. The Sudanese government denies the charges, which incriminate 50 other Sudanese officials, including the defence minister. Government officials maintain that the charges are fabricated and part of a Western conspiracy. Khartoum also argues that Washington is using the ICC to humiliate Africans and prevent their leaders from taking part in international gatherings. The Sudanese government claims that the death toll in Darfur was close to 10,000, while international organisations believe that 300,000 people lost their lives in the region, and nearly three million were displaced. UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said that the US issues visas to all heads of states wishing to attend UN meetings as a matter of diplomatic protocol, regardless of their policies. The US is not part of the Rome Statute that created the ICC, and is not legally obliged to honour ICC warrants. But Washington has defended human rights in Darfur and supported the ICC by voting in favour of UN Security Council Resolution 1593 in 2005 that referred the situation in Sudan to the court. The African Union (AU) is taking Al-Bashir's side on this debate. It has called on its members to ignore the warrant and refrain from arresting Al-Bashir. The AU maintains that human rights violations are being committed in many parts of the world, and that the ICC is reacting to these violations in a selective manner. The AU is expected to hold an extraordinary summit in October in Addis Ababa to discuss the AU reaction to the warrant, as well as ICC accusations against the Kenyan president. The US ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, voiced shock at the news that Al-Bashir intended to travel to New York, calling the move “cynical” and “inappropriate”. The US constitution, which observes complete separation of powers, gives the US general attorney the right to arrest President Al-Bashir as soon as he sets foot in New York. The motivation of the move is unclear, but there is speculation that Al-Bashir is trying to deflect attention at home from a plan to raise the prices of fuel and basic consumer goods. The Sudanese opposition is trying to rally opposition to the government decision to raise the price of basic goods. Activists are hoping to use the move to organise popular protests with the aim of bringing down the government. Members of the ruling National Congress Party are worried about the consequences of price rises. But the government, which is running a $1.47 billion deficit in its budget, cannot think of another way to handle the flagging economy. Rights activists in the US and abroad have called on Washington to deny Al-Bashir an entry visa. Sudanese activists have contacted US pressure groups, including those with links to African Americans, to demand the arrest of Al-Bashir if he arrives in New York. Sudanese opposition figures note that Al-Bashir's crimes are not confined to Darfur, but were also committed in South Kordofan, Nubia and the Blue Nile regions. Rights activists say that they have documented evidence of atrocities committed by Al-Bashir and his regime, including air bombardment of residential areas. Khartoum knows that Al-Bashir may face arrest if he travels to New York, but by applying for an entry visa for the Sudanese president, it has successfully riled the US administration. The whole thing, it may turn out to be, is nothing but a game Al-Bashir is playing to upstage protests that are expected to erupt at home soon. By posing as a patriot challenging major powers, Al-Bashir is hoping that his compatriots forgive him for drowning the country in economic and political problems. Al-Bashir has succeeded in raising a hue and cry abroad, but whether this will help him at home is still to be seen.
