Sudan Sudan’s president accused of Darfur war crimes 14/07/08 19:29 CET

Wanted for alleged war crimes, Sudan’s President stands accused of masterminding a campaign of genocide in Darfur. The claims and call for an arrest warrent against Omar al-Bashir come from the International Criminal Court’s Prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo.

“The decision to start the genocide was taken by al-Bashir personally in March 2003,” he said. “Al-Bashir decided and set out to destroy in part the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa, I would say a substantial part.”

It is claimed Khartoum is ultimately behind attacks on those ethnic groups in a conflict that has sparked a humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Some fear the allegations of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes could stoke further violence.

As Arab foreign ministers prepare for an emergency meeting to discuss the case, Sudan’s government rejected the accusations. A foreign ministry spokesman slammed the court’s dealings on the Darfur issue as “political”, saying there is no real concern for justice or the law.

Those loyal to the Sudanese president have already taken to the streets to voice their support for him. Judges in the Hague will now decide whether there are grounds for an arrest warrant to be issued.