Sudan warns ICC indictment could ruin Darfur peace

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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-07-15 22:39

NAIROBI -- The Sudanese government warned Tuesday that UN peacekeeping work in its strife-torn region of Darfur region would suffer if President Omar al-Bashir were to be indicted for war crimes and arrested by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Addressing a news conference in Nairobi, Sudanese ambassador to Kenya Majok Guangdong said the evidence by the ICC was false and indicated Sudan could try to halt the court's work through its allies.

"The decision will stall the political process and will not give an opportunity for success to the new AU/UN special envoy for peace in Darfur," Guangdong told journalists in Nairobi.

He said the Sudanese government will go ahead with implementing its joint plans and programs with the UN/AU with regard to the deployment of the hybrid forces and making success the political process in Darfur.

Guangdong said the country did not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC and would rally support among allies in an attempt to block proceedings, warning that if the ICC pursued the case it could jeopardize relations between Sudan and the UN.

"Sudan is not party to the ICC and did not sign or ratify the Rome Statue, which created the Court, and hence it is not under the jurisdiction of the court," the ambassador told journalists in Nairobi.

"The Sudanese Judiciary is capable and willing to address the situation in Darfur according to the National Investigation Commission on Darfur and the Special Courts that were set up in this regard," he said.

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