WORLD> Africa
ICC's obsession of justice tempered by tricky arrest
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-03-06 11:08

KHARTOUM -- The Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Thursday slammed in public the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant against him. Analysts say the leader's counteraction is justifiable given the court's impotence and a widespread perception of bias in international community.


Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir attends a ceremony in Merowe, Sudan, March 3, 2009. The International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague of the Netherlands issued an international arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on March 4, 2009. [Agencies] 

PERCEPTION OF BIAS

Hassan al-Sauri, professor of political science at the University of Khartoum, said the court is not a legal organ, but "a political tool preoccupied by Western agenda."

"The ICC does not only aimed at Sudan. It also targeted those developing countries which want to carry out independent policies," he told Xinhua.

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The professor cited the website of the ICC saying that the court has embarked on cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Uganda and Sudan, all of whom are African countries.

Large numbers of civilians have been killed by US-led forces in Iraq and Afghanistan in the past few years, but there were only "regrets," no court procedures, he said.

The 22-member Arab League (AL) has communicated with the ICC after the 22-day Gaza war in which more than 1,300 people were killed by Israeli forces, but in vain. Israel argued that the Jewish country is not a member of the ICC and thus not subject to the court's jurisdiction.

The ICC's perceptible bias has drawn backlashes among African countries and Arab nations.

The Arab League said it was "deeply concerned" about and "greatly disturbed" by the ICC decision, and voiced support for the sovereignty of Sudan. The Africa Union, which is mulling a collective walkout from the ICC, said the decision would impede Sudan's peace process.

Chinese government's special representative for Darfur Liu Guijin also said Thursday afternoon that the arrest warrant could gravely obstructed the peace process in Darfur.

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