Sudan Says It Will Not Hand Over Darfur War Crime Suspects to Tribunal

Text of breaking news by Sudanese Media Centre website on 27 February

The International Criminal Tribunal [ICT] prosecutor-general has named the first two Darfur war crimes suspects, namely, Ahmad Muhammad Harun, the state minister for humanitarian affairs and Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-al-Rahman (aka Ali Kushayb), a local tribal commander.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the ICT prosecutor-general, ordered judges to issue summons for the two.

In a written memo, Moreno-Ocampo said there was reason to believe the two bear responsibility for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur between 2003-2004.

Meanwhile, the Sudanese justice minister, Muhammad Ali al- Maradhi, has reiterated the government’s rejection to hand over any Sudanese nationals, be they officials, elements of the security apparatus and rebels to the ICT. He said the ICT had no mandate to look into the issue of Darfur.

He said the judiciary in Sudan had the required independence, neutrality, willingness and ability to prosecute anyone for any crime in Darfur.

It is worth recalling that the Sudanese justice minister had visited Darfur to follow up investigations into some excesses that had occurred in southern and western Darfur.

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