Sudan agrees ex-president Bashir must face ICC

BY:BBC

Sudan’s rulers have agreed that those wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) will appear there.

The commitment came at peace talks between Sudan’s government and rebel groups from the Darfur region.

The decision paves the way for ex-President Omar al-Bashir to be sent to The Hague to face charges there.

He is accused of genocide and war crimes in the conflict that broke out in Darfur in 2003, which killed around 300,000 people.

“Justice cannot be achieved if we don’t heal the wounds,” said government spokesman Mohammed Hassan Eltaish.

“We agreed that everyone who had arrest warrants issued against them will appear before the ICC. I’m saying it very clearly,” he added.

Bashir was ousted as president in April last year.

He came to power in a military coup in 1989 and ruled Sudan with an iron fist.

ICC prosecutors in The Hague have requested he stand trial over the Darfur killings.

The UN says that around 2.5 million people were displaced in the war.

In December, Bashir was sentenced to two years in a social reform facility for corruption.

Under Sudanese law, people over the age of 70 cannot serve jail terms. Bashir is now 76.

Prosecutors in Sudan have also charged him with the killing of protesters during the demonstrations that led to him being ousted.