afrol News, 20 June - The government of Sudan has opened fresh row with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, with the Minister of Justice, Salah al-Dee Ubu-Zeid, suing the ICC prosecutor, Luis Moreno Ocampo, on terrorism charges.

The minister who was acting in response to Mr Ocampo's last month's interview with 'Sudan Tribune,' said his action was taken to protect "Sudan's security and interests."

In the said interview, Ocampo disclosed failed plans to divert the plan carrying Sudan's Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, Ahmed Haroun, from going to South Arabia in December.

Mr Haroun, who has been on the wanted list of the ICC for his alleged role in war crimes in Sudan's troubled Darfur region, was on his way to perform the pilgrimage in December when the plan was hatched. Had the plan succeeded, he would have fallen into the hands of the ICC for prosecution.

Sudanese government has been quarrelling with the ICC for its refusal to honour its obligation to extradite Mr Haroun and Commander of the government-backed Janjaweed militia, Ali Mohamed Ali Abdel-Rahman aka Ali Kushayb. Kushayb has been indicted on 51 charges including murder, rape and forced expulsions in 2003 and 2004. Sudanese officials have no regards for the ICC and would not therefore comply with its requests.

Angered by the ICC prosecutor's disclosed plans, the Sudanese government linked the plot to "terrorism", insisting that Ocampo should be removed from office.

As he is covered by a diplomatic immunity, the ICC prosecutor is immune to prosecution. He is covered by a lifetime immunity on all the actions he has taken while in office.

This month, Ocampo angered Sudanese authorities for submitting a damning report on the country to the UN Security Council, claiming to have gathered enough evidence of a "criminal plan based on the mobilization of the whole state apparatus, including the armed forces, the intelligence services, the diplomatic and public information bureaucracies, and the justice system."

Mr Ocampo said his office wants to know who is "maintaining and instructing" Haroun and others to "commit crimes."

Meanwhile, European Union leaders are on the brink of imposing new sanctions on Khartoum unless its authorities comply with the ICC prosecutor's demands.

Apart from placing an arms embargo on Sudan, the EU also imposed visa bans on a number of Sudanese officials. But sanctions on Sudan have failed to produced the desired results, which was why EU leaders are contemplating on freezing assets of Sudanese officials.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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