The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) heads for New York this week seeking backing for his bid to try Sudan President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes, the tribunal said.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo will meet officials of the United Nations and African Union, said a statement, as a debate rages on whether the UN Security Council should defer the probe.
He would discuss ”how to further the protection of civilians in Darfur, stop the crimes, and ensure the court’s judicial mandate and decisions”, said a document issued by Moreno-Ocampo’s office.
In July, Moreno-Ocampo asked the court for an arrest warrant for the Sudanese leader for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur.
A panel of judges is reviewing the evidence to determine whether there are reasonable grounds for issuing a warrant.
Al-Bashir has shrugged off the threat of prosecution, while Arab and African leaders have warned of the dangers to regional stability of arresting the Sudanese leader.
On Friday, France raised the possibility of suspending international court proceedings against al-Bashir in exchange for a ”gesture” of goodwill from Khartoum towards the ICC.
Moreno-Ocampo described the matter on Monday as ”an immense challenge for the political leaders of the world”.
”They have to protect the victims and ensure respect for the court decisions,” the statement quoted him as saying. ”Those sought by the court have to face judgment.
”Between criminals and 2,5-million victims, they should make the right decision.”
The evidence showed that crimes against Darfuris were continuing, he added.
”[Al-Bashir] has complete control of his forces, and they are raping women today, they are promoting conditions in the camps to destroy entire communities and they are still bombing schools.” — AFP
