Minister urges Sudanese to hand over war crime accused
A Government minister is to call on Sudanese authorities to comply with United Nations demands over the conflict in the region at a meeting today.
Junior Minister at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Conor Lenihan, said he would be urging the Sudanese government officials to follow a UN demand for 51 people accused of war crimes to be handed over to the International Criminal Court.
“There are sensitivities here about the whole issue,” he said before the meeting in the African country’s capital, Khartoum.
“We are obviously hoping to convince them at the meeting that they will cooperate and will engage in a change of heart on that particular issue.”
Mr Lenihan, who is also meeting with the UN’s Special Representative, Jan Pronk, said he was aware that the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said he would never hand over a national of the country to another court.
“The only words that I can convey to them is that this process is independent and is fair and has been called for with one voice by the entire international community,” he said.
Mr Lenihan added: “I think what people forget is that atrocities have been committed by both sides of this conflict by both the rebels and the government, I understand from people here on the ground that there are both sides represented on that list as well.”
He also said he would raise concerns over the government’s refusal to grant visas to Irish journalists to travel to Sudan with him.
The region has been embroiled in conflict for more than two years, forcing around two million people to flee their villages for overcrowded refugee camps.
The Sudanese government has admitted arming some militias to quell the rebellion, however, it has denied a link to the Arab militias known as the Janjaweed, who are accused of raping, killing and looting.
The junior minister said he met with government agencies and representatives from Trocaire, Goal and Concern in the stricken Sudanese province, Darfur.
“The situation has greatly stabilised in terms of food supply and medical health treatment for people, as thousands of them are crowded into these camps But it is not an acceptable situation going forward,” he said.
A report from the International Development Committee said it believed around 300,000 people may have died, while the UN says at least 180,000 people lost their lives and more than two million have sought refuge from the violence since the two-year conflict began.
Mr Lenihan said the pressure was now on to attempt to return the thousands of displaced people to their villages.
However, he said there were a lot of bandits and attacks in the area.
“In fairness, to the rebel groups and the militias they are trying to stop the attacks that are going on,” he said.
Mr Lenihan said that the major fear with the forthcoming rainy season was that the roads would be wiped out and disease outbreaks could erupt in the camps.
