afrol News, 22 July - Sudanese rebels have accused African Union of biasness following its statement on Monday saying it will urge UN Security Council to suspend warrant of arrest of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.

Mr al Bashir is held responsible, by International Criminal Court (ICC) for allowing systematic attacks on civilians in the Darfur region since 2003, which has left an estimated 300,000 people dead while 2.5 million were displaced.

AU Peace and Security Council issued a statement yesterday, urging United Nations to invoke powers granted to it by ICC charter to delay any arrest warrant for Sudanese president for at least 12 months.

Justice and Equality Movement leader Mr Khalil Ibrahim said his group would no longer recognise AU efforts to mediate a peace process in the country. AU has just commissioned a new mediator Mr Djibril Bassole who will resume his duties next month.

"AU is a biased organisation and is protecting dictators and neglecting the African people," Mr Ibrahim said.

Army of Democratic Popular Front, an Arab rebel group also criticised AU stance, saying it knew ex-militia members who would be witnesses in president al Bashir trial who had been ordered by government to commit atrocities.

"We support ICC, we see Mr al Bashir as a war criminal and has direct responsibility for genocide and bombing with military aircrafts or helping militias on the ground," group's secretary general Osama Mohamed al-Hassan said.

Sudan Liberation Army Unity faction official, Mr Sherif Harir said for any AU mediation to succeed in resolving war torn Darfur region, it would have to answer why it had taken such a stance.

"AU by so doing has indicated to the people of Darfur that they can die and it's not as important as protecting a president who has taken power by military coup," Mr Harir said.

Steps taken by a joint UN-African Union peacekeepers patrol in Darfur have been frustrated by lack of equipment and reluctance of Sudanese government to facilitate deployment of non-AU troops in the region.

Nine thousands peacekeepers took over in January from a smaller AU force. UNAMID is mandated to have 26,000 blue helmets in the region.

Meanwhile, Sudanese officials have said international aid workers and peacekeepers would be at risk after the indictment against president al-Bashir by ICC.

Sudan's AU ambassador, Mr Akuei Bona Malwal said if an arrest warrant was issued, one of the next casualties would be international peacekeeping operations in Darfur.

"We are warning the world that we will guard our interests. We will make sure that our president only gets to the International Criminal Court after many Sudanese have been overcome by an external force," Mr Malwal said.

Darfur has seen five years of conflict between rebels, Sudanese government and government-backed militias. UN says conflict has displaced about 2.5 million people and killed as many as 300,000.

By staff writer

© afrol News

Related pages and feature

Current afrol News Top Stories