INTERVIEW-Dutch see Sudan’s approach to court improving
09/05/08
AMSTERDAM, Sept 4 (Reuters) - The Sudanese government's approach to the International Criminal Court (ICC) is improving and officials no longer dispute the court's right to deal with Sudan, the Dutch foreign minister said on Thursday.
But they still oppose the issuing of an arrest warrant for President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for human rights abuses, minister Maxime Verhagen said in an interview with Reuters.
The court's chief prosecutor requested the warrant for Bashir in July on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
The court also indicted Sudan's Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Ahmed Haroun and militia leader Ali Kushayb last year for war crimes.
Nerhagne said that talks on Thursday with visiting Sudanese foreign minister Deng Alor showed a drastic change from earlier discussions on Khartoum's cooperation with the ICC.
"In the discussion today, they did not dispute the right of the ICC to deal with Sudan, which is completely different from in February," Verhagen said.
"What they are disputing now was a warrant for the president and the consequences it might have for the internal situation in Sudan."
Alor said in a news conference that if the ICC agreed to issue the arrest warrant against Bashir, it could could create further instability in the country, prolong hostilities and put a brake on the peace process.
The Sudanese government was debating how to respond to a possible arrest warrant, Alor said.
Verhagen said he had stressed the need for Sudan to cooperate with the ICC.
Rights groups have welcomed the ICC bid to put Bashir on trial but some analysts believe it could harm the peace process.
Last month Bashir told Reuters the ICC's attempt to prosecute him had only strengthened his position. He did not fear following in the footsteps of leaders arrested and charged by other international courts, such as Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic and former Liberian President Charles Taylor.
"We are very confident of our internal front and we don't give a damn about the precedents set by those going to court, Bashir said.
(Reporting by Catherine Hornby; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
But they still oppose the issuing of an arrest warrant for President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for human rights abuses, minister Maxime Verhagen said in an interview with Reuters.
The court's chief prosecutor requested the warrant for Bashir in July on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
The court also indicted Sudan's Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Ahmed Haroun and militia leader Ali Kushayb last year for war crimes.
Nerhagne said that talks on Thursday with visiting Sudanese foreign minister Deng Alor showed a drastic change from earlier discussions on Khartoum's cooperation with the ICC.
"In the discussion today, they did not dispute the right of the ICC to deal with Sudan, which is completely different from in February," Verhagen said.
"What they are disputing now was a warrant for the president and the consequences it might have for the internal situation in Sudan."
Alor said in a news conference that if the ICC agreed to issue the arrest warrant against Bashir, it could could create further instability in the country, prolong hostilities and put a brake on the peace process.
The Sudanese government was debating how to respond to a possible arrest warrant, Alor said.
Verhagen said he had stressed the need for Sudan to cooperate with the ICC.
Rights groups have welcomed the ICC bid to put Bashir on trial but some analysts believe it could harm the peace process.
Last month Bashir told Reuters the ICC's attempt to prosecute him had only strengthened his position. He did not fear following in the footsteps of leaders arrested and charged by other international courts, such as Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic and former Liberian President Charles Taylor.
"We are very confident of our internal front and we don't give a damn about the precedents set by those going to court, Bashir said.
(Reporting by Catherine Hornby; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
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