The Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, says Sudan is defying the United Nations by protecting two indicted war criminals. From VOA's New York Bureau, correspondent Barbara Schoetzau has the details.
In May, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Ahmed Haroun, Sudan's Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, and Ali Khosheib, a leader of the pro-government Janjaweed militia in Darfur. The Court charges both with crimes against humanity.
Briefing the Security Council on his latest report on Sudan, Ocampo says the Council must remind the Sudanese government of its duty to cooperate with the Court and arrest the two men. Ocampo says Haroun's appointment in September as Sudan's lead investigator into human rights abuses in refugee camps in Darfur is worrisome.
"The fact that Ahmed Haroun is now the person in charge of safety of 2.5 million persons, when I see these persons under attack so Ahmed Haroun is not protecting them," said Luis Moreno-Ocampo. "On the contrary, we have this year shown a clear pattern of attacking these people. That is an additional concern for me."
Khartoum says Ocampo is politicizing the issue and undermining the road map to peace in Darfur, including a hybrid UN-African Union peacekeeping force.
Prosecutor Ocampo has also announced the Court will begin investigating attacks on humanitarian workers and a September attack that killed 10 peacekeepers in Darfur.
