War Crimes Charge a Conspiracy, Sudan Says

The Toronto Star
March 5, 2009

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir stated that the decision by an international tribunal to arrest him on war crimes charges is a conspiracy in an attempt to destabalize the country and disrupt the new peace efforts in Darfur. After the warrant was issued, al-Bashir told a Cabinet meeting that the court, the UN, and international organizations operating in Sudan were nothing but "tools of the new colonialism". He said that their goal is to bring Sudan and its resources under their control. Al-Bashir's government retaliated immediately, expelling 10 leading internationl humanitarian organizations from Darfur including Oxfam, CARE, and Save the Children. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called these actions "a serious setback to lifesaving operations in Darfur". The expelled groups protested, saying that they had no connection to the court and without them, 2 million war-weary Suadnese would face a crisis, as many would be living without basic needs. Al-Bashir, however, still believes that the aim of these organizations was to disrupt peace efforts in Darfur. He stated thet everytime the country makes an attempt at a peace deal to end the conflict, it is hit with a new international decision against the deal.

The arrest warrant against Al-Bashir issued by the International Criminal Court is the tribunal's first against any head of state. UN officials said that because he remains president of the country, they will continue to deal with him. Since the war in Darfur began in 2003, 2.7 million have fled their homes and up to 300,000 people have died. This is all due to the rebel ethnic African groups who, complaining of "discrimination and neglect", took up arms against the government in Khartoum, an Arab-dominated city. Al-Bashir says that his government will act quickly against anyone who tries to help the ICC arrest him. He says that they will "act as a responsible government...but we will be responsible and firm with anyone who tries to get at the stability, security in the country or whoever uses their position and presence in Sudan to violate the law, the stability and security".

In my opinion, this argument is fundamentally flawed. If the ICC wishes to arrest al-Bashir, he should concede without argument and plead innocent in a human rights court if he is truly innocent. His views on this matter are truly skewed, as he believes that all are "out to get him" and bring down his government through draconian measures. Expelling the humanitarian organizations from Darfur was a grave error on his part, as it imperils the lives of thousands and destabilizes an already suffering economy. The people of Darfur who have suffered so much already do not deserve a leader who places the value of his own power before the lives of his citizens.