- Join the France 24 community here
- Log in
Latest update: 28/11/2011
- ICC - international justice - Kenya - Omar al-Bashir - Sudan
Kenya issues arrest warrant for Sudan's Bashir
A Kenyan high court issued an arrest warrant on Monday for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir (pictured), who has been wanted by the ICC on war crimes charges since 2009. Kenya failed to arrest Bashir when he visited the country last year.
By News Wires (text)
AFP - A Kenyan court issued an arrest warrant Monday for Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court on genocide charges.
Though Kenya has ratified the founding the ICC's founding Rome statute, it failed to arrest the Sudanese leader when he visited the country in August 2010.
Monday's high court ruling means that his arrest "should be effected by the Attorney General and the Minister for Internal Security should he ever set foot in Kenya," Judge Nicolas Ombija said.
Bashir is the subject of two arrest warrants issued by the ICC for atrocities committed in Darfur in western Sudan. The first was issued in March 2009 on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The second was issued in July 2010 on charges of genocide.
The Sudanese President in August 2010 attended a ceremony in Nairobi to mark the adopting of Kenya's new constitution.
As a signatory of the ICC's founding treaty, Kenya was theoretically obliged to arrest Bashir when he entered the country.
Related Content
Breaking news from AFRICA, Maghreb and Sub-Saharan Africa
‘Darth Vader’ demands free land from Ukrainian government
Browse all editions
FRANCE 24 PARTNERS
Comments (2)
Absolutely Biased!
It seems the muscle of the ICC is stronger in Africa,trying to apprehend or pointing fingers at sitting African leaders is beyond comprehension.Law breakers and abusers are aplenty around the globe, but Africa seems quite a target,and the West seems immune to this hypocrisy,the Chinese,Russians and other Asian powerhouses are untouchables as well.All in all it"s a mockery to "Justice for All".
Kenya meeting its obligations to the ICC
MORE AFRICAN COUNTRIES who are SIGNATORY to the conventions and protocols setting up the ICC, should follow KENYA's lead and apprehend Omar Al-Bashir for the CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY he is accused of perpetrating in DARFUR and South Sudan and then like Maumar Qadafi blaming it on the African 'Bug-Bear', TRIBALISM !!!
Post new comment