Al-Ahmad condemns ICC decision on Sudan, Al-Qaddoumi sees it mirroring Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine

Al-Qaddoumi sees ICC action on Sudan as violation mirroring Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine

Date: 19 / 07 / 2008 Time: 17:41
Bethlehem – Ma'an –

Farouq Al-Qaddoumi on Saturday condemned the International Criminal Court's (ICC) decision to prosecute Sudanese president Omar Hassan Al-Bashir for masterminding a genocidal campaign in Darfur, and claimed that the ICC decision on Sudan mirrors other international occupations.

Farouq Al-Qaddoumi, head of the PLO Political Department in Tunisia, said in a statement sent to Ma'an that the motive behind the move to arrest the Sudanese president is political.

The ICC's actions, he maintained, will make the situation in Sudan come to resemble the situations in Palestine, Iraq, and Afghanistan. The proceedings and their fallout are aimed at worsening the situation in Sudan, he continued.

Casting doubt on the altruism behind the actions of the court, Qaddoumi pointed out that the accusations of the prosecution coincide with a recent statement by US President George W. Bush about his country's ability to go beyond the UN Security Council and send troops to Darfur.

Qaddoumi pointed out that the decision of the ICC prosecutor hinged on human rights violations in Darfur. Given that Israeli forces are continuing to violate human rights in Palestine, he said, statements condemning their actions should also be made.

Moreover, he said, if the current trend of the ICC continues, they will inflame what he calls the "internal problems" of the Sudan between Arabs and Africans and between Muslims and non-Muslims. He claims that investigations have shown that the current and historical situation in Sudan is a civil issue and not ethnic cleansing.

He added that the recent developments are targeting Sudan as a result of its natural wealth and its strategic location. He said that he felt the need to stand by Sudan in its hour of need.

*Farouq Qaddoumi constitutionally succeeded Yasser Arafat to the position of Fatah chairman. However, since the death of Arafat there have been a string of power struggles between Fatah representatives in the Palestinian territories and Qaddoumi, who remains in Tunis. He continues to voice disagreement over the legitimacy of a number of political positions and decisions within the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and the Palestinian National Assembly.

Azzam Al-Ahmad condemns ICC decision on Sudan, calls for Arab solidarity with Sudanese president

Date: 19 / 07 / 2008 Time: 19:14
Ramallah – Ma'an –

The head of the Fatah parliamentary bloc, Azzam Al-Ahmad, on Saturday warned all Arab leaders and governments not to yield to the request of International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo that Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir be prosecuted for genocide.

Al-Ahmad warned that the ICC request represents a dangerous development going beyond the Court's established powers and jurisdiction, noting that Sudan has not ratified the establishment of the ICC.

He argued that the decision was influenced by political dimensions rather than purely legal considerations, that it aims to pressure Sudan, and that it represents an obstacle towards resolving the Darfur problem and achieving national reconciliation in Sudan. He noted that efforts for internal Sudanese reconciliation had been boosted by a 2006 agreement with the Eastern Front, a coalition of groups that had been fighting the government in eastern Sudan.

In a press statement received by Ma'an, Al-Ahmad urged Arab governments to stand firm before these attempts to prosecute Al-Bashir, and added, "We should all ask what the ICC Chief Prosecutor's position is regarding the war crimes committed by Israeli forces against Palestinians and by American forces against Iraqis."

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