Sudan to UN Security Council: Justice in Darfur will not be complete without accountability for all those involved

OnePress 

Sudan reiterated its commitment to cooperate fully with the International Criminal Court (ICC), calling for speeding up the legal procedures for Darfur crimes and issuing arrest warrants for the accused, warning that delays in achieving justice encourage continued impunity.

In a statement to the Security Council on the semi-annual report of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Darfur, Minister Ammar Mohamed Mahmoud said that the Sudanese government considers justice and accountability as the basis for achieving sustainable peace, stressing the continuation of cooperation with the Court within the framework of Security Council resolution (1593), despite the security challenges.

He pointed out that the government has facilitated the tasks of the investigation teams, hosted field visits to the camps for displaced people, as well as providing opportunities to meet witnesses and victims, in support of efforts to investigate crimes committed in the region.

The statement accused the Rapid Support Militia of committing widespread violations against civilians in Darfur and other areas, including killings based on ethnicity and targeting civilians and infrastructure, pointing to the events of El Geneina and El Fasher and attempts to repeat them in El Obeid.

Sudan called on the International Criminal Court to expedite the completion of its legal procedures, stressing that the continued delay in issuing arrest warrants for those accused of crimes of El Geneina and El Fasher weakens confidence in international justice and sends negative messages to the perpetrators of violations.

The statement stressed that accountability should not be limited to direct perpetrators, but extends to anyone proven to be involved in planning, financing, supporting, inciting or facilitating the commission of crimes, including those who provide military, financial, logistical or political support.

Sudan rejected what it described as allegations by the US representative about the use of chemical weapons by the Sudanese army, stressing that Washington has not provided any evidence to support those accusations, either to the Sudanese government or to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

The statement stressed the need for the Security Council to base its deliberations on facts and documented information, away from unsubstantiated allegations.