According to Arab News, Sudan’s Foreign Minister Maryam al-Mahdi has said that “Sudan will hand over former dictator Omar al-Bashir and others long wanted in the Darfur conflict to the International Criminal Court.”
“The cabinet has decided to hand over the wanted persons to the International Criminal Court,” he said. Omar al-Bashir, 77, has been wanted by the International Criminal Court since 2009 and has received a court order.
The decision to extradite Omar al-Bashir was made during the ICC Chief Prosecutor’s visit to Sudan. According to Al Arabiya Net, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has called on the Sudanese authorities to hand over the perpetrators of the Darfur conflict as soon as possible.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has charged former officials, including Omar al-Bashir, with war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, denying the allegations.
According to the Sudanese news agency, Foreign Minister Maryam Sadiq al-Mahdi had said during a meeting with the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan in Khartoum that the Sudanese cabinet had decided to hand over the wanted persons.
Maryam al-Mahdi has assured the prosecutor that the Sudanese government will cooperate with the international court to bring justice to the victims of the Darfur war.
Earlier, a senior prosecutor at the International Criminal Court called on the Sudanese authorities to take practical steps to bring Darfur victims to justice and hold those responsible for serious crimes there accountable.
