Sudan urges African countries to withdraw from ICC
Xinhua,December 21, 2017 Adjust font size:
KHARTOUM, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Wednesday urged the African countries to implement the decisions of the African Union (AU) summit and withdraw from the membership of the International Criminal Court (ICC) if it failed to respond to the African demands.
Al-Bashir on Wednesday held talks in Khartoum with President of Rwanda Paul Kagame, who is the head of the current AU session.
"Sudan is inviting its brotherly African countries to implement the decisions of the AU summit, particularly the withdrawal from the ICC membership, if it failed to respond to the African demands," said al-Bashir when addressing the session of the joint talks.
He praised Rwanda's strong positions in support of Sudan's just causes at the regional and international forums as well as its stance against the ICC.
He further commended Rwanda's contribution in field of achieving peace and stability in the African continent via its active participation in the peacekeeping missions.
President of Rwanda Paul Kagame, for his part, reiterated keenness to enhance his country's ties with Sudan in all fields in a manner that achieves common interests.
Addressing the session of the joint talks, he said Sudan and Rwanda can work together as friends to achieve the interests of their peoples.
He renewed his country's firm stance against the ICC, saying it is a position adopted by the AU summits that urged its countries to withdraw from it and not to recognize it.
President Kagame arrived in Khartoum on Wednesday in an official visit to Sudan in response to an invitation by his Sudanese counterpart.
Last February, the AU passed a resolution on colective withdrawal from the ICC, but the decision is non-abiding as Nigeria and Senegal are opposing the withdrawal decision.
South Africa and Burundi have previously withdrawn from the ICC, accusing it of unfairly targetting the Africans.
Around 34 African countries have signed the Rome Statute which established the ICC.
On March 2009, the ICC issued an arrest warrant against al-Bashir for allegedly committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan's Darfur region. Enditem