[Facts] Reaction to ICC charges

DUBAI (AlArabiya.net)

World reaction was sharply divided over the decision by the International Criminal Court's top prosecutor to seek the arrest of Sudan's sitting president. Below, a sampling of world public opinion, which highlights global disagreement over the ICC's jurisdiction, the effects it could have on peace operations in Darfur, and the implications of such an action.

United Nations

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon "expects that the Government of Sudan will continue to cooperate fully with the United Nations in Sudan, while fulfilling its obligation to ensure the safety and security of all United Nations personnel and property," according to a statement issued by his spokeswoman Michele Montas.

- "It's not an evacuation. We're temporarily relocating staff, some non-essential staff," said Josephine Guerrero, spokeswoman for the U.N.-led peacekeeping mission, upon the announcement that the U.N. was removing all nonessential staff from Darfur as protests against the warrant broke out.

Arab League

The Arab League warned that the ICC’s decision may not have been well thought out, and it was concerned about repercussions. "The situation is very serious and very dangerous," said Secretary-General Amr Moussa. "At the same time, we are not convinced that the steps taken (by) the held an emergency meeting to discuss the genocide charges.

- "What the prosecutor of the court has done is a dangerous precedent," Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci told his Arab counterparts at the session. "We have (to take) ... a strong stance in solidarity with our brothers in Sudan and move effectively with regional and international organizations and the ... states in the Security Council to immediately reconsider this demand by the prosecutor."

African Union

The African Union warned any indictment of Bashir would create a power vacuum that risked "military coups and widespread anarchy." Tanzanian Foreign Minister Bernard Membe, speaking on behalf of the AU chairman President Jakaya Kikwete, told AFP that "If Bashir is indicted and taken, there will be a power vacuum in the Sudan and that risks military coups and widespread anarchy reminiscent of what is happening in Iraq,." He added: "Let us not be seen that we are opposing justice, but our position is that the ICC timing is bad because Bashir has shown compliance to peace demands. This is the time for the world community and U.N. Security Council to closely world with Sudan in restoring stability.” He said that members of “the African Union do not condone impunity, genocide and violence because we believe in due process of the rule of law," but that “we are calling for is a deferment in indicting Bashir because there is a risk of anarchy in a proportion we have not seen in this continent."

European Union

- EU Development Commissioner Louis Michel called Monday for an "end to the impunity" in Darfur, noting Khartoum's "flagrant" lack of cooperation with the International Criminal Court.

- The EU’s French presidency said in a statement that "It is now up to the judges of the pre-trial chamber of the ICC to determine what action they intend to take in response to the request issued by the prosecutor."

- EU Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso, who spoke to Bashir while in Khartoum two years ago, told reporters: "I said to him it would be better for him to show as soon as possible real comittment to cooperate with the United Nations and the international community. If not, some action like this one could happen." He said he hopped that “the Sudanese authorities cooperate in good faith with the international community and they help all of us to put an end to this terrible, appalling situation for the people of Darfur."

Chad

Chad welcomed the charge, saying it showed the international community was "aware" of the tragedy in Darfur. "Chad, the direct and indirect victim of the aggressive policies of al-Bashir, notes that the international community is aware of the tragedy of the people of Darfur, Chad and the sub-continent," the government said in a statement. The ICC’s accusations "confirm the truth of Chad's complaints against the Sudanese regime."

China

China expresses grave concern and misgivings about the International Criminal Court prosecutor's indictment of the Sudanese leader," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in Beijing. "The ICC's actions must be beneficial to the stability of the Darfur region and the appropriate settlement of the issue, not the contrary."

- Liu Guijin, Beijing's envoy for western Sudan, said: “We want to see more of the further plans of the A.U. and Arab League, and then use the channel of the U.N. Security Council or other appropriate channels to ensure the development of the situation does not affect resolving the Darfur issue." He told reporters that the "United Nations is using these different measures, and it should ensure its own priorities, and the use of one measure should not undermine the other measures… Don't send wrong or chaotic signals."

France

France urged the president to respect the ICC’ decision. "It is a decision of the International Criminal Court and President Bashir must respect it," French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Monday.

Russia

"All sides, including Sudan but also the U.N., must... exercise restraint and find solutions that will help the people of Sudan and resolve the crisis in Darfur," Vitaly Churkin, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, told AFP. He said there was "a lot of concern" among U.N. Security Council members about the request and said it has the right "to give a political judgment on the timeliness or untimeliness of the (court’s) activities."

South Africa

"This action will take months but even if it is granted, what happens?" Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad told reporters. "You can't arrest Bashir. Who's going to arrest him?" Pahad said South Africa, which has around 900 troops serving as peacekeepers in Darfur, wanted to help strengthen the court but added it was "important for the ICC to take action that does not undermine its very important role."

Uganda

"It is hypocritical to concentrate on the Palestine crisis and pay little attention on the African conflicts involving OIC member states. The OIC must resolve the issue of Darfur in the Sudan where Arabs are in conflict with black Africans," said President Yoweri Museveni, chiding the 57-member OIC for failure to help end the Darfur crisis.

Sudan People's Liberation Movement

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement, the southern former rebel, said in a statement: "This has understandably created a serious situation that could threaten peace and stability in the Sudan," saying the way out is for the president's National Congress to cooperate with the ICC. "We believe that the solution to the crisis is for the government of national unity to forge an understanding with the international community and to cooperate with the ICC on the legal process."

Arab Coalition for Darfur

The Arab Coalition for Darfur scolded the Islamic world for its silence on the conflict in the western Sudanese region of Darfur. "The suffering of Muslims in Darfur is as real as that happening in Iraq and Palestine," said in a statement. "The Islamic world's response to the daily killings and suffering of millions of Muslims in Darfur has been largely silent, from both civil society as well as from institutions and majority of Islamic governments," it said. "The Islamic world must decide to end its wall of silence, before it is too late ... More silence could be catastrophic on the Islamic community."

- Coalition leader Haggag Nayel urged members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to take decisive action "(d)espite the importance and regular deliberations and statements on Darfur in the OIC, this is not enough because the situation fails to improve for ordinary Darfurians on the ground." He added that "The real causes of the conflict where Arabs are in conflict with black Africans are not fabricated by the west or imperialists."