Sergei Balmasov - 06.03.2009
The West tries to legalize the dismemberment of Sudan. The International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for the Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. The president has been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. It became the first time in history when The Hague laid the charges against a sitting head of state.
The Sudanese president has been charged with crimes against the tribes of Darfur, a region in the west of the country. Enormous crude deposits were found on the territories where three Darfur tribes reside. The tribes launched a fight for independence in 2003. The government responded with adequate measures. The combat operations were distinctive for their cruelty on both parts. Janjaweed, a group of armed gunmen in Darfur, scorched out whole villages in rebellious territories. The rebels were not merciful either.
Over 2.7 million people became hostages of the Darfur crisis, the UN said. The number of victims is evaluated between 300-400,000 people. The peacemaking contingent of the United Nations and the African Union was deployed in Sudan in 2007. However, it did not stop the violence.
The above-mentioned case began in July 14, 2008. The Hague Tribunal did not find enough evidence to charge al-Bashir with genocide. Luis Moreno Ocampo, the then-Prosecutor of the Tribunal, stated that he could prove Bashir’s implication in genocide. He referred to the testimony of over 30 “witnesses.”
Sudan does not intend to deliver its president to The Hague. Bashir does not acknowledge his guilt and offered the judges to eat the warrant which did not deserve the ink with which it was printed. Bashir stated that the West was determined to stop the development of his nation.
Vice president of the Academy of Geopolitical Sciences, Vladimir Anokhin, told Pravda.Ru that The Hague Tribunal showed the absolute disrespect to the United Nations with its decision. “There are documents which restrict the status of the tribunal. In addition, Sudan does not recognize its legitimacy. Therefore, no officials of the Sudanese administration can be delivered,” the expert said.
Thousands of people took to the streets in the capital of Sudan to support their president.
The majority of Arab states, including Egypt, the largest Arab state that borders on Sudan, condemned the single-handed actions of The Hague Tribunal. The rebels hailed the arrest warrant and said that Bashir must stand up in the courtroom and prove himself not guilty, if he is not guilty indeed.
The West also approved the sanction. State Department spokesman Robert Wood stated that everyone, who committed crimes against humanity, must be brought to justice. He continued with saying that any actions against the civil population and against the interests of foreign states in Sudan should stopped.
It goes about oil, first and foremost. According to experts’ estimates, the
oil reserves in Sudan may exceed those in Saudi Arabia.
Foreign powers have been destroying the largest African country during the recent years through their support of the rebel movement.
South Sudan was separated in the 1990s with the participation of Western states.
The events in Darfur unfold in accordance with a similar scenario. The West plans to create at least four countries within one.
'Conspiracies against Sudan '
'Conspiracy against Sudan'
Sudan is a country rich in oil, uranium, copper – natural resources that have been coveted by superpowers for decades.
Some Sudanese officials claim they have become a victim of the age-old intrigues and conspiracies of Western powers that wish to further interests in their country by destabilizing it.
Ali al-Sadiq, the Sudanese foreign ministry spokesman, said in February 2009 that the court is "a mere tool for political conspiracy against the Sudan and that it has nothing to do with the international justice."
In the context of US- Sudan relations, Fanous believes the US and other Western powers wish to make Sudan a weak country and divide it for many reasons.
Sudan has supported Hamas, the Palestinian group ruling the Gaza Strip, as part of a series of decisions that run contrary to US foreign policy.
Fanous explained that the indictment could harm relations between the north and south, forcing them to split. Once the south secedes, it would be open to negotiate with the US and others since it holds most of Sudan's oil.
He said that Darfur, a region that is rich in petroleum and which has considered declaring independence in previous years, could also break away with US support.
Fanous also believes that a weaker Sudan would threaten national security for bordering Egypt, and a weaker Egypt would only allow the West to gain more influence in the Arab world.
"Nevertheless, the US refuses to negotiate with the Islamic governance in Sudan, and watching the country collapse would allow Washington to change the country's political landscape."
Chavez Opposes Arrest Warrant For Bashir; Asks Why Not Bush?
March 31, 2009
DOHA, (Xinhua) – Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez here Tuesday voiced objection to the arrest warrant of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for alleged war crimes in Darfur.
Upon his arrival at the Doha International Airport to attend the 2nd Arab-South American Summit scheduled for Tuesday, Chavez told reporters that the ICC should be requested to prosecute former U.S. President George W. Bush and Israeli President Shimon Peres, according to Spanish EFE news Agency.
"Why (the ICC) not order the capture of Bush? Why not order the arrest of the president of Israel?” he was quoted as asking.
Leaders of the 22-member Arab League who held a summit on Monday passed a communiqué on rejecting the ICC’s arrest warrant for Bashir.
Chavez said the ICC “has no power to make a decision against a sitting president, but does so because it is an African country, the third world,” said Chavez, whose country is a signatory to the ICC.
The ICC has requested all its signatory members to arrest Bashir.
The Second Summit of Arab-South American countries will be held in the afternoon, with the participation of leaders and senior officials from 12 South American countries and 22 Arab states, plus delegates from the Arab League.