A South African court has granted an interim order to prevent Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir from leaving South Africa, where he is attending an African Union summit, until it hears an application calling for his arrest.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant in 2009, accusing Bashir of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the conflict in Darfur. He denies the charges.
An application reportedly lodged by a human rights group was set to be heard in the Pretoria High Court at 3pm local time on Sunday to decide whether Bashir should be arrested.
The judge said the court will decide whether a South African government cabinet decision to host Bashir would trump the ICC arrest warrant.
Bashir boarded a flight on Saturday to Johannesburg to head Sudan’s delegation at the summit which starts on Sunday, presidential sources and the state Sudan News Agency said.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation reported that Bashir was later “welcomed by South African officials and Sudanese diplomats on his arrival in the country”.
South Africa is a member of the ICC, which does not have its own police force and relies on member states to detain suspects.Since the arrest warrant was issued, most of Bashir’s trips abroad have been to non-ICC states such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
But he has also been to member states that have declined to arrest him, such as Nigeria, which hosted him in July 2013.
Al Jazeera’s Fahmida Miller, reporting from Johannesburg, said an increasing number of African countries have been displeased with the ICC and want to move away from it.
Many Africans on social media have expressed displeasure at South Africa’s actions.
ARREST HIM. HE MUST ANSWER HIS WAR CRIMES QUESTIONS AGAINST HIM. AFRICAN PRESIDENTS SHOULDN’T BE THINKING THAT THEY WILL BE WALKING FREE AS LONG AS THEY ARE IN AFRICA WHILE THEY SLAUGHTER FELLOW AFRICANS.
when one watches too many American movies and ever dreams America that the way one reacts.
Arrest George Bush, Tony Blair and Benjamin Netanyahu first. These men have killed more people in the world on false pretenses and they are running scot free. People are still being killed in Iraq, Palestine, Egypt, Libya Afghanistan to name but a few but because they are white, they are always right. I despise Bashir but if the ICC is to be respected, they need to treat the people who commit these crimes the same.
South Africa allowed thousands of whites with the blood of innocent blacks still dripping from their fingers to escape punishment – all under the name “Truth and Reconciliation Commission!” Where was this S. African court at the time? and where was the ICC? When it’s a white person involved, the ICC usually turns a blind eye. In contrast, it jumps into action – to prosecute the culprit, if that person happens to be black. Can we afford to ignore all this – this double standard the ICC has come to be identified by?
SOUTH AFRICA WORSHIPS THE WEST. LAST TIME ICC COMMANDED ZAMBIA TO ARREST BUSH. EITHER WE CHOSE NOT TO OR WE JUST FAILED. BUT WHICHEVER THE CASE. WE TOO SHOULDN’T HAVE LET BUSH LEAVE.
I think we shouldn’t be shallow about this issue. This issue is more complicated than meet the eye. George Bush’s actions during his presidency has resulted in the death of more people than Bashir, yet the ICC can’t raise a finger ask the court to arrest Mr Bush if he passed through South Africa.
Yes I understand that USA is not a signatory to the ICC. The Question is what makes USA so superior and above the common sense law that the rest of the world respect.
If the ICC wants to be respected, the need to use a same standard across the entire world.
People question the ICC and their supporters’ have a valid point. The West has done so much damage to Africa and continue to do so in several ways. No African court can arrest or summon their citizen
As an Example, Mark Thatcher, a son to former British Prime Minister Margarette Iron Lady Thatcher was in 2005 found guilty and convicted for funding an operation to topple a Government in Eq Guinea. The Sentence was a shabby suspended one and he was allowed to leave the country and go and enjoy his life in the UK. Despite the damage military coups have done in Africa, did I hear any one from these West groupings like ICC or Western media utter a word? Not at all.
It is this double standard that makes us doubt the credibility and motives of some of these institutions. Do they just exist to preserve white supremacists and to them anything and everything African is evil, inferior and needs to be painted as such by all international media they control.
Let Africa deal with Bashir not…
It is more cruel to murder your own citizens.
Where in the world do you expect citizens to feel safe, protected and at home than in their own country?
You who claim to be the repository of all knowledge, and you who are claiming to understand “complicated” must answer that question.
Al Bashir and uncle Bob of Zim must face the music.
Ba Bootlicker…your name really suits you. There was a time you contributed with gray matter, now is like you have caught “Peftitis”(inability to think objectively a condition common among PF supporters). Let the damn African countries work very hard, develop their countries to the level of the USA, only then will the sorry corrupt Africans stand with their heads high. Lets stop blaming others for our inability to govern ourselves. I am sure very soon you will blame the USA for the Public Order Act in Zambia.
Ba Bootlicker…your name really suits you. There was a time you contributed with gray matter, now is like you have caught “Peftitis”(inability to think objectively a condition common among PF supporters). Let the damn African countries work very hard, develop their countries to the level of the USA, only then will the sorry corrupt Africans stand with their heads high. Lets stop blaming others for our inability to govern ourselves. I am sure very soon you will blame the USA for the Public Order Act in Zambia.
The first thing the ICC must do to restore its credibility, if it has any, is to bring to book the biggest human rights violators like George Bush and Tony Blair for all those atrocities they committed to the people of Iraq under the disguise of Weapons of Mass Destruction. Otherwise, the ICC will always be seen as vehicle for intimidating African leaders and other leaders from the Eastern Block
As usual, if it is not xenophobia then it is being used to do wrong. How can you create good raport among countries if this treatment is offered to a head of state whom his country has respected with immunity.
I don’t think he will step a foot in RSA again.
South Africa we’re watching you closely! Your Xenophobic Zulu King Zweletini better restrict himself to Durban Kwazulu Natal else Chimbokaila is calling him
@mmd bootlicker.u mentioned usa as not a member of icc,.so which law will the icc apply to convict former presido bush and dont blame icc .the icc didnt force any nation to join it but your pipo saw the need for that.i support icc bcz african leaders should be flexible and stop butchering its own pipo.zambian presidos have a clean record on this.
Of course you are being simplistic and shallow. Do you ever remember Zambia discussing on a public forum to ever join ICC or not? And Do you know the caliber of African politicians that even sign on these issues? Do you know why African football federations voted for a corrupt Sepp Blatter in mass? ( And Please Don’t blame Kalusha Bwalya on this)
I’m sure you and your likes would gladly blame African Chiefs for Slave Trade for rounding up their young able bodied men and selling them to slave traders.
These are systemic issues that requires a holistic approach than your easy shallow way out of a symptom of a complex problem.
South Africans are behaving like they are not part of us. Africans are the ones who suffered for their independence and yet they have become xenophobic towards them. Africa defied the West that supported the apartheid regime in south Africa at great cost in order to free them. The politics here are that, the West has no moral right to lecture us on the democracy they never gave us. We had to die for our freedom. For a fact this ICC is just meant for the poor Africans and other small nations while the West and their allies like Israel go scot free from outright murder. Its high time the south Africans started reflecting on their past and behaved likewise. In fact the AU must pull out of this ICC because it has become an object for oppression by the West.
Bravo, bravo, South African gov,t for taking wise decision for taking responsible majors against murderer Bashiar. take Him to ICC for the account of the life of innocent Darfourian Sudanese.
These South Africans again…this is poor timing indeed, who are they trying to appease…the ICC itself is flawed….as if they haven’t got enough on their hands they xenophobia attacks on fellow Africans, $10m bribe to FIFA officials.
@jay Jay, lelo wakamba va nzelu. I think you are now maturing.
Why play angel….let them first arrest king badluck zwelithini who ordered killings of foreign nationals living in South Africa
F00lish Africans as usual. The USA did not sign up to that court but you – yes goody two shoes that you all are went headlong into signing and even reported your fellow Africans! Yes, the ICC acts on reports and complicity. While you harp about George Bush et al, are you saying sh.it comes out through different holes?? So we first have to deal with Bush’s sh.it before we deal with our own right in our backyards??? Pathetic!
Africa is our continent and if the icc thinks colonialism is still here, they are mistaken. ..Also arrest George Bush and other former presidents of USA for causing deaths of people in Iraq, Libya Tunisia Zimbabwe etc.and mass sufferings happening in these countries due to USA envisions on leaders in such countries. ….VIVA Mugabe
The West is very good at using the Divide and Rule principle
@MMD Chief Bootlicker, ndiwe mwamuna!
The South african government action on Omar al- Obashir with an aminent arrest of Sudanese president sends a positive attitude towards leaders who abuse their citizens whilst in power. Robert Mugabe, Paul Kagame, Yeweri Museveni must be having sleepless nights. MMD Chiefbootlicker views are totally misplaced, would not be surprised that he belongs to the school of ‘Strong Rulers’ of Africa who more than anything else are DICTATORS.
Mark Thacher Chief bo….. aludes to is a prohibited person in America and here in the UK to say the least Mark Thatcher does not carry any respect because of his involvement in coup attempt in Eq Guinea. Mark Thatcher is in fact bannished in UK and lives in Malta.
Dictators and abusive leaders one day find their fate it may delay but will surely come.
The ‘South African government’ has NOT, to my knowledge, said anything yet on the al-Bashir issue. The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria issued the order for al-Bashir not to leave SA until it hears the application, by the Southern Africa Litigation Centre, for al-Bashir’s arrest. The ruling is today (Monday). This means actually that the SA government is being ordered to arrest al-Bashir.
(The SA government actually granted ‘immunity’ to all heads of state attending the AU summit – so it can not go against its word, but that is for the Court to determine).
The battle is actually between the SA government and SALC…
It least try to read or follow a bit of news before coming to these boards…
Never will I say or believe Omar Bashir is an Angel, to the contrary he should be tried by the AFRICAN CRIMINAL COURT.
However known vile War Criminals like Bush & Blair have been to African nations, Zambia included, but Non of you Muntu -Munyama’s have ever stopped them entering or leaving your so called “Flag waving sovereign states”
So it is a farce, & insult for Africans in this day & age to stop Bashir going back home.
Of course what can one expect from Africans who Butcher “Immigrants” as long as they have Melanin like them, while they only vent their anger @ non living Statues, of their former & currently oppressors.
SHAME!!!
Typo; should read,
Non living statues of their former & current oppressors.
@Aquilla you are mistaken. Its not just about the leaders. It spreads down to the people who surround them and eventually the whole nation. That’s the same mistake Western leaders have been making thinking that removing Saddam, Muller Omar and Kaddafi would result in democratic countries. Removing the said leaders will not improve any thing at all. The southern Sudanese blamed Bashir for the violence and the international community gave them independence, but what is happening there now? Civil war. Blacks killing each other. Back home many thought MMD was too corrupt, but what is happening now in the PF just after 4 years in power? Dictators are created by the people themselves and until you change their mind set, nothing will happen even if you send all the leaders to the ICC.
Walk the streets of Khartoum, Atbara and Port Sudan, you will see happy people. College boys and girls diligently taking their education. The president is highly respected. I’ve visited Sudan 5 times, and found no misdemeanour!