International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, has filed genocide charges against Sudan’s President Al-Bashir and has requested an arrest warrant. The opinion of human rights groups and UN aid agencies are divided as to whether this move will act as long needed action against Sudanese government and start a real peace process or will this lead to more chaos in Darfur? Many fear there will be a huge setback if Al-Bashir and Sudanese government decide to retaliate against any arrest moves by ICC.
The genocide charges against Al-Bashir are serious. The submitted evidence shows that Sudanese President tried to wipe out three ethnic tribes in Sudan’s western Darfur region. In 2003, members of Fur, Massalit and Zaghawa groups rebelled against the government. They defeated the state army. Al-Bashir then sent lawless militia called janjaweed after these groups. Since 2003 janjaweed has committed serious war crimes for which Al-Bashir and Sudanese government are totally responsible.
Rebels are happy and they want Al-Bashir to be arrested. But is it possible to arrest the Sudanese President and start peace talks with the government which is headed by Al-Bashir himself? Some feel ICC’s move itself will act as a deterrent and make Al-Bashir go soft and invite rebel groups for peace talks. The President will definitely be under international pressure but ICC cannot stop him from moving within Sudan and carrying out operations against rebels and aid workers.
Darfur has suffered for nearly five years. The conflicts have left nearly 300,000 killed, thousands of women and children raped and abused. UN is unable even to carry out the full-fledged aid operations in the region. Finally, this move by ICC might be seen as better late than never by many.
Everyone expected UN, West and other countries to act and bring peace back in Darfur. Now that ICC’s prosecutor has filed charges, there are many unanswered questions. Will ICC comply? Will this UN initiative revive the peace process in Darfur which is almost dead? Or will it spoil whatever little chance the peace had in the region? Will Al-Bashir,as head of the state use all the state machinery and retaliate not only against the rebels but UN peacekeepers and aid workers as well?
It is best to hope that things will change for better in Darfur. But if they don’t, things cannot be more worse in Darfur.
source: LosAngelesTimes
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Only al-Bashir and his government in Khartoum taken out of Sudan can bring peace to the country.
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