Al Bashir, Darfur and ICC Arrest Warrant
Sudanese President Omar Hassan Bashir defies ICC Warrant
Apr 25, 2009
Since he was served with an arrest warrant in March 2009, by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity, Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir has acted in strange ways. His first sign of defiance was to expel all humanitarian groups from Sudan, accusing them of spying. President Bashir has since then made six foreign visits to drum up support against both the ICC and the “imperialist West” as he calls it.
Bashir in Great Power Contest
Since the beginning of the 21st century, Sudan has come under the spotlight of the western media. The government in Khartoum has taken criticisms for its atrocities in Darfur. Former U.S President George W. Bush called it genocide, highlighting the level of carnage involved. These cries have, however, fallen on deaf ears as President Bashir enjoys enormous protection from China. Sudan has therefore become one of the centers of rivalry between the West and China.
The situation in Darfur has also been an issue of immense controversy as different parties (based on their interests) take different sides over its causes and solutions. The ICC’s charge against Bashir and the reason for his arrest was because of his part in “… intentionally directing attacks against an important part of the civilian population of Darfur, of Sudan, murdering, exterminating, raping, torturing and forcibly transferring large numbers of civilians and pillaging their property.”
Bashir on the Road
In what appears to be a brazen act of defiance and provocation to the ICC, Bashir has suddenly embarked on a series of foreign trips where he misses no opportunity to preach his anti-western rhetoric. Since March, he has visited Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and recently Ethiopia. During his Ethiopia trip, a fine line was drawn at the diplomatic level between his supporters and opponents. Western diplomats stayed away from the reception while those from China, North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela gave Bashir a warm welcome in Ethiopia.
“With regard to the ICC, we consider this issue pertains to those people behind the decision,” he told Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. “For us this decision is of no value and will not affect the movement of the President or any Sudanese officials.” Bashir used the ICC to test his support base. “The ICC decision has become positive for us,” he said. “We have noticed a firm position by regional organizations, namely the Arab League and African Union.”
Significance of the ICC Arrest Warrant
The ICC decision to arrest Sudanese President Al Bashir is significant in many ways. While it highlights the carnage in Darfur, it also exposes a high level of double standards on the part of the West. While the Bush administration named it genocide in June 2004, the UN after thorough investigation refused to call it by that name. This brings to light what Professor Mahmood Mamdani calls “the politics of naming” with which the west engages Africa.
The significance is further explained by the fact that this warrant is the first against a sitting head of state in Africa. But the truth remains that Bashir is only one among many rights violators in Africa. What is good for Bashir in the name of an arrest warrant is good for a large number of African dictators. The genocide in Rwanda also saw European conspiracy either directly or indirectly. So far Europeans seem to enjoy racial immunity from arrest warrants.
The most significant thing about this arrest warrant is its timing. Many analysts agree that progress is on the way in Darfur and the ICC arrest warrant only comes to reverse the gains that have been made so far. AU Chairman, Jean Ping considers it “pouring fuel on the fire” at a time when the AU was trying “to extinguish the fire.” Coming at a time when western credibility has been severely damaged in Iraq and Afghanistan, many Africans have become skeptical about western discourse on human rights.
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