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Sudan's FM says Bashir attends summit in S. Africa normally despite ICC urges his arrest

Xinhua, June 14, 2015 Adjust font size:

Sudanese foreign ministry said on Sunday that Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is safe and "normally" attends an African Union (AU) summit in South Africa despite the International Criminal Court (ICC) based in The Hague urges the host to arrest the Sundanese leader.

The ministry also said that there is no fear for al-Bashir's safety after a South African court issued an order that prevents al-Bashir from leaving Johannesburg.

On March 2009, the ICC issued an arrest warrant against al-Bashir for allegedly committing war crimes in Sudan's Darfur region. Since then, most of Bashir's foreign visit destinations have not joined the ICC, yet South Africa is a ICC signatory.

"All that is circulated in media organs has nothing to do with the reality in South Africa which announced its commitment to fulfill all its commitments and that the president is welcomed. Matters are progressing normally and there is no risk on the president", Kamal Ismail, Sudan's State Minister for Foreign Affairs, told reporters here Sunday.

"There is a small society which went to a court at a remote area and filed a suit against the president, but what is going on in this court is an internal matter concerning South Africa," he noted.

He also said that al-Bashir's visit to South Africa would continue in a normal manner, including his participation in all sessions of the AU summit, which kicked off on Sunday.

A judge at a Pretoria High Court on Sunday issued an order preventing the Sudanese leader to leave the country. Judge Hans Fabricius said al-Bashir should not leave the country until an urgent application to have him arrested has been heard.

Al-Bashir, who has only recently begun a new presidential term, arrived in Johannesburg on Saturday evening to attend the AU's 25th Summit.

Also on Sunday, the African National Congress, South Africa's ruling party, said the government granted immunity for all summit participants according to the international norms for nations to host gatherings like the AU summit.

The party also asked the South African government to challenge the order issued to compel it to arrest President al-Bashir. Endit