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Sudan president Bashir threatens to expel diplomats, peacekeepers

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Sunday continued to criticize foreign aid agencies he has expelled from the country, and threatened to expel remaining agencies, diplomats and peacekeepers in Sudan. Bashir has expelled 13 foreign aid agencies  from Sudan after the International Criminal Court (ICC) last week issued a warrant for his arrest. Human rights and other groups have urged Bashir to allow the agencies to remain in the country, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesman Rupert Colville has said that his office may investigate  whether Sudan's removal of the groups is a possible breach of human rights law or war crime. Bashir has said that he remains committed  to a peace deal his government has with opposition groups in the country despite the warrant, but warned that foreign nationals still in Sudan would have to obey his government or also face expulsion. The ICC's warrant against Bashir includes seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The controversial arrest warrant had been sought by ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, who in July filed preliminary charges against Bashir alleging genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed in the Darfur region in violation of Articles 6, 7, and 8 of the Rome Statute. The ICC announced last week that they would decide whether to issue an arrest warrant on Wednesday. The announcement came after the New York Times reported last month that the warrant had been issued, leading a court official quickly to issue a denial.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on March 08, 2009 (boomark / email).