Skip to main content

Intl. warrant issued for Sudan’s president Beshir


NEW YORK: International Criminal Court (ICC) judges have decided to issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir over alleged genocide in Darfur, A US daily reported on Wednesday.The daily, quoting court lawyers and diplomats, reported on its website that the move by a panel of judges in The Hague marked the first time that the world's first independent, permanent tribunal on war crimes has sought the detention of a sitting head of state since it began its work in 2002.It said precise charges, cited by the judges against Beshir, had not been disclosed.Last year, ICC's chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo asked the court for an arrest warrant for Beshir on 10 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur.It quoted UN officials as saying the decision on the warrant was communicated to UN chief Ban Ki-moon and was expected to be formally announced at the court in the coming days.But asked to comment on the report, UN deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe said, "I can confirm that no decision has been received by the secretary general. We do not anticipate receiving such communication and we do not normally receive such communication."And Japan's UN Ambassador Yukio Takasu, the president of the Security Council this month, said: "The council has not been informed yet." "We have not been told about this but it would not be a surprise to us. It does not concern us," said Sudan's UN Ambassador Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad.On Tuesday, Ban urged Khartoum to act "very responsibly" if an arrest warrant is issued for Beshir.The UN chief told a press conference that whatever decision the ICC reached, "it will be very important for President Beshir and the Sudanese government to react very responsibly and ensure the safety and security" of UN peacekeepers (in Darfur) and protect the human rights of the population."

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

US troops in Iraq head to Afghanistan

BAGHDAD: Nearly 500 U.S. Army combat engineers who specialize in clearing roads of explosives started shifting to southern Afghanistan."We are probably going to be the beginning of the influx you are going to see to Afghanistan," Lt. Col. Kevin Landers, commander of the Fort Carson, Colo.-based 4th Engineer Battalion, said as crews packed crates and cleaned vehicles for the flight to Kandahar.Obama has ordered 17,000 more U.S. soldiers and Marines to Afghanistan to bolster the 38,000 American troops already battling the resurgent Taliban."We are going to take this footprint out of Iraq," said Landers, whose battalion received word of its reassignment last month just after taking command of clearing roads in Baghdad of bombs and debris.

Berlin Celebrates the Day the Wall Fell

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 BERLIN: World leaders and partying Germans are descending on Berlin Nov. 9 to mark the 20th anniversary of the day the Berlin Wall was breachedIt is a day for celebrations and commemorations, for festivities and sober reflection. Berlin is marking 20 years since the fall of the Wall on Monday with a series of events, big and small. Leaders from around the world are descending on the German capital to help celebrate the momentous events of Nov. 9, 1989, a date that has come to symbolize the end of communism in Eastern Europe. The main focus of events will be the historic Brandenburg Gate, where 20 years ago, joyful East and West Berliners gathered together to dance on top of the wall and celebrate the sudden opening up of the Iron Curtain. The iconic gateway had once stood in the midst of no man's land, surrounded by barbed wire and machine guns. Now 20 years on, a concert and fireworks display will recall those heady moments. A line of 1,000 foam dominoe...

Pakistan to play SAfrica in Twenty20 semi-final

Wednesday, June 17, 2009, NOTTINGHAM: An intriguing battle is on the cards when favourites South Africa clash with buoyant Pakistan in the semi-final of the World Twenty20 here on Thursday. Geo Super will telecast the action live from the ground at 2230 PST.The South Africans have showed their all-round prowess during an unbeaten run in the tournament, including emphatic wins in all three Super Eight games against the West Indies, England and defending champions India. The latest success came at Trent Bridge on Tuesday when the Proteas fought back after being restricted to a modest 130-5 on a slow wicket to keep off-colour India down to 118-8. Pakistan bounced back after losing their first Super Eights game to Sri Lanka to defeat New Zealand by six wickets before ensuring their place in the semi-final by packing off minnows Ireland by 38 runs. In the preliminary round, the enigmatic Pakistanis had shown a similar never-say-die attitude by thrashing England-conquerors Netherlands by 82...