Human Rights and Legal Experts Press UN Over Sudan Suspects

Numerous influential legal experts and human rights activists have issued a letter to the United Nations Security Council, urging for increased pressure on Sudan to extradite two war crimes suspects for trial at the International Criminal Court.^[1]

The group, including former war crimes prosecutors Carla Del Ponte and Richard Goldstone, are hoping increased international pressure will lead to the Sudanese government turning over Ahmad Harun and Ali Kushayb, both accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region of the Sudan between 2003 and 2004.^[2] Arrest warrants for the men were issued by the ICC in May of 2007.^[3]

Nick Donovan, head of the Darfur campaign at Aegis Trust, noted the Security Council has several options it can take to force the issue. "The U.N. Security Council can take some concrete steps such as imposing targeted sanctions like freezing the bank accounts of those who are protecting Ahmad Harun and Ali Kushayb, the two suspects.”^[4]

Spokesman for the Sudanese embassy in London, Khalid al Mubarak, dismissed the letter, as well as efforts to bring the two men to face charges at the ICC. “The International Criminal Court is itself controversial and highly discredited; for one reason, which is that many countries including the United States are exempted from the rules relevant to the International Criminal Court," Mubarak said. "Over and above that, Sudan is not party to it, it has not ratified anything relevant to it.”^[5]

Mubarak further argued the Sudanese were capable of bringing the two men to face charges in their own national courts, noting that several persons accused of human rights violations in Darfur have been tried and sentenced to extensive terms of imprisonment. At this time, Mubarak asserted, no relevant or credible evidence has been presented against Kushayb and Harun. ^[6]

Harun served as state interior minister during the Darfur conflict and is accused of helping recruit Janjaweed militias and contributing to various international crimes. Ali Kushayb served as a senior militia leader during the conflict. It is estimated that 20,000 people have been killed and over 200,000 driven from their homes in the Darfur region of Sudan since the start of the conflict in 2003.^[7]

The indictments of Harun and Kushayb have been discussed extensively in the International Crimes Blogs, and further information can be found here.

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[1] Tendai Maphosa, UN Urged to Pressure Sudan on Darfur War Crimes Suspects, Voice of American, March 31, 2008 (available at www.voanews.com).

[2] Id.

[3] See International Criminal Court, Situations and Cases; Darfur, Sudan (available at www.icc-cpi.int).

[4] Maphosa.

[5] Id.

[6] Id.

[7] Id.