Call on League to take a stand on Darfur
- Published on 21/07/2008
On the eve of the special summit to the League of Arab States that was due to be held on 19 July 2008, Amnesty International issued a call to the members of the League of Arab States requesting them to take a stand towards the protection of civilians in Darfur and the achievement of justice in Sudan.
Amnesty International asked members of the League to use their influence with the Government of Sudan to ensure that the protection of civilians in Darfur remained high on the summit’s agenda, and that the course of international justice remains unhampered.
Amnesty International continues to place great importance on the vital role which the League of Arab States can play in maintaining international respect for United Nations (UN) resolutions, international justice and human rights. Amnesty International is well aware of the important role played by the League of Arab States in May 2004 as the first Inter-Governmental Organisation to send a fact-finding mission to Darfur. The findings of the delegation concluded that "massive human rights violations had been carried out".
Amnesty International takes no position on the merits of the Prosecutor's allegations or on the guilt or innocence of President Omar al-Bashir. At the same time, the organisation reiterates its belief that investigation and prosecution by the ICC of crimes committed in Darfur is an important step in ending impunity and towards accountability.
Amnesty International further reminds the League of Arab States of the Government of Sudan's legal obligation to surrender to the ICC anyone named in arrest warrants under UN Security Council Resolution 1593 (2005), which urged all States and concerned regional and international organisations to cooperate fully with the ICC. Recently, the President of the UN Security Council urged the Government of Sudan and all other parties to the conflict in Darfur to cooperate fully with the Court "in order to put an end to impunity for the crimes committed in Darfur" (Statement by the President of the Security Council, 16 June 2008).
The need to respect UN Security Council resolutions is a call which the League of Arab States has frequently made. It is important that members of the League reaffirm this call and do not take any steps that may hinder the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1593 or take any measures that may result in individuals who may have committed serious crimes under international law escaping justice.
The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights has urged African Union member states to ensure that perpetrators of crimes under international human rights and humanitarian law do not benefit from impunity. The Commission also asked African leaders to condemn and reject impunity (Resolution adopted in Banjul, the Gambia in December 2005). Amnesty International notes that this resolution is consistent with the provisions of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, to which Sudan is a party.
Reaffirming the importance of ensuring justice in Sudan as in other situations under examination by the ICC, Amnesty International finally urges members of the League of Arab States to:
Reaffirm the principle that perpetrators should be held accountable for crimes under international law.
Reaffirm the importance of preventing and stopping violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law and of ensuring that emergency humanitarian assistance is maintained.
Ensure that the League of Arab States and the government of Sudan maintain their support for the work of the joint United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).
Comments
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time for change
comment by:
Norbert Nitsch
25/07/2008
07:21 AM
How can you possibly defend this genocidaire?
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