Sudan: Human Rights Body Calls on Dignitaries to Refuse China Invitation over Bashir’s Visit

By Staff Writer

KHARTOUM – The Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir arrived Monday in China on a 4 days Trip,despite court orders against his travel and a warrant for his arrest issued by the International Criminal Court. 

Bashir is one of the foreign heads of state attending a huge military parade on Thursday to mark the 70th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II. Major western leaders have shunned the event.

International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organisations the African Centre For Justice and Peace Studies and Human Rights in China have called on heads of state and UN officials attending the anniversary, to refuse any invitation to an event where Al Bashir will be present, as per their obligations set out in UN and Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute (ASP) guidelines.

The United States expressed its displeasure over the visit saying that Bashir should not be welcomed by countries but should rather face justice.

“As you know, he’s been charged with – by the ICC, International Criminal Court, with war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, and warrants for his arrest remain outstanding. And we strongly support the ICC’s efforts to hold accountable those responsible for those acts. Our position is clear: We oppose invitations, facilitation, or support for travel by persons subject to outstanding ICC warrants,” US State Department spokesperson Mark Toner told reporters on Monday.

He stressed that "the International Criminal Court request to arrest al-Bashir still stands," and stressed that "the United States strongly supports the efforts of the international tribunal to hold accountable those responsible for such acts."

“[W]e’ve called on all countries to join the international community in its call for Sudan obviously to fully cooperate with the ICC, and requested that governments, including China’s, not invite or facilitate or frankly support travel by President Bashir. And we have a longstanding policy of urging other nations to refrain from lending political or financial support to persons subject to ICC arrest warrants in Darfur. So it’s a serious cause for concern that he remains at large,” he added.

“[W] e believe China, like any nation, as you say, as a member of the Security Council, should weigh its concern – or weigh the world’s concerns about President Bashir and the fact that, as I said, he’s got an active warrant out for his arrests for war crimes.

However, the spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry Hula Chunying said that people were “over thinking” the issue of Bashir’s attendance at the commemoration of world war II event where war crimes were committed

"The people of Africa, including Sudan, made an important contribution in the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War. China’s invite to President Bashir to the commemoration activities is reasonable and fair. While he is in China we will give him the treatment he should get," Chunying told reporters.

“As China is not a member of the ICC, relevant issues will be handled "on the basis of the basic principles of international law," she added.

Bashir is wanted by the Hague tribunal for alleged war crimes committed in Darfur. China is not an ICC member and had made it clear in the past that it does not approve of the warrant even though it chose not to veto the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) 2005 resolution empowering the Hague-based court to investigate crimes in Sudan’s western region.

China’s non-veto on that resolution has angered Sudanese officials who expressed shock that despite their close relationship with Beijing, the latter did not stand up at the UNSC to defend Khartoum at that instance.

The Darfur conflict erupted in 2003 when ethnic insurgents rebelled against the Arab-dominated Khartoum government, complaining of marginalization.

It has left 300,000 dead and some 2.5 million displaced, according to UN figures, and Bashir's forces have been accused of large-scale atrocities against civilians.