Darfur rebel chief faces the ICC for war crimes

A Darfur rebel chief charged with committing war crimes in a 2007 attack on African Union peacekeepers appeared before the International Criminal Court Monday, the first rebel stand before the court since its investigation into the Darfur conflict.

Bahr Idriss Abu Garda is charged with taking part in an attack by more than 1,000 rebels on the AU base in Haskanita, killing 12 AU peacekeepers and seriously wounding eight others.

Abu Garda is among the first rebels charged and the first person to turn himself in to the court voluntarily. He arrived in The Hague Sunday on a commercial flight from Egypt via Nairobi before being taken to an undisclosed location under court authority.

The court's chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, accused Abu Garda and two others of what AU officials called the bloodiest assault on peacekeepers since the Darfur conflict began in 2003.

Abu Garda is charged with murder, pillaging and attacking peacekeepers but has reportedly told the court that he was not in Haskanita on the day of the attack.

Principled surrender

In an exclusive interview with Al Arabiya, Abu Garda said his surrender was a matter of principle. He refused to discuss details of his case because of a court order limiting what he can say.

"I am looking forward to clear my name from this case because I am sure ... that absolutely I am not guilty," Abu Garda said. "We are struggling in Darfur because there is no justice in Sudan so we cannot refuse to face justice."

He called upon Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to appear for the ICC hearing and stressed that “no one can escape from international justice.”

Abu Garda, wearing a gray suit and striped tie, answered "yes" when asked whether he understood the charges and his rights. He was not required to enter a plea.

I am looking forward to clear my name from this case because I am sure ... that absolutely I am not guilty

Bahr Idriss Abu Garda

He gave his profession as "commander of a resistance movement."

The judge said Abu Garda is expected to leave the Netherlands on Tuesday.

British defense lawyer Karim Khan said Abu Garda has not yet decided whether to attend the October hearing.

Two other rebels, whose identities have not been released, also are suspected of involvement in the Haskanita attack.

Sudanese government officials including President Bashir have been charged with war crimes, though they refuse to acknowledge the court's jurisdiction.

There are 9,000 African Union peacekeepers to Darfur attempting to quell the violence that has killed at least 250,000 people and displaced more than 2.7 million since 2003, according to the United Nations.

We are struggling in Darfur because there is no justice in Sudan so we cannot refuse to face justice

Bahr Idriss Abu Garda