Reuters is reporting that the AU Panel of “eminent Africans” led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki, and tasked by the AU with “looking into ways to balance accountability with bringing peace into Darfur” has come out in support of the ICC case against Sudanese President Omar al Bashir. This contradicts the “AU decision” […]
Light shed by Botswana on the so-called “AU decision” against the ICC
July 5, 2009 by 1 Comment
UPDATE: Sudan Tribune reports that the decision was taken “by consensus” – but it is unclear to me how you have consensus if the parties are not actually in agreement. ——————————– At the end of their summit in Sirte, under the watchful eye of Chair, Col. Gaddafi, the AU put out a statement that they […]
Prosecution gets to appeal ICC decision not to charge Bashir with genocide
June 24, 2009 by 3 Comments
The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I* has granted the Prosecution leave to appeal its decision from March this year not to issue a warrant of arrest for Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir for genocide (it issued it for five counts of crimes against humanity and two counts of war crimes). The Prosecution raised its appeal on […]
A plea from Cairo: “See how they killed my people”
June 18, 2009 by Leave a Comment
This powerpoint was created by one of the Darfuri refugees I interviewed in Cairo. He asked me to post it on my site so more people could see it. He lives in a one-bedroom apartment in a poor area with twelve family members, and does menial labor for 15 hours a day for the equivalent […]
Worth reading: ‘Beyond Janjaweed’ Understanding the militias of Darfur
June 17, 2009 by Leave a Comment
This report, released this month by the Small Arms Survey, on the people who were recruited as proxy militias by the Sudanese government in Darfur, is well worth the read. Its author is Julie Flint (who wrote Darfur: A Short History of a Long War with Alex de Waal), and while I don’t agree with […]
Genocide/crimes against humanity/war crimes into law (on paper anyway)
June 9, 2009 by Leave a Comment
A list of items that the Arab League’s Envoy to Sudan gave me on Sunday night (to show me the progress Sudan has been making) included the recent incorporation of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes into Sudanese criminal law. I was caught out. I prepare thoroughly for interviews, but this was news to […]
Darfuri women: Nowhere to turn
May 31, 2009 by Leave a Comment
A report released today by Physicians for Human Rights and the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative documents “the scope and long-term impact of rape and other sexual violence experienced by women who fled attacks on their villages in Darfur and are now refugees in neighboring Chad.” The report is based on 88 in-depth interviews with women at […]
Abu Garda vs. Omar Al Bashir
May 28, 2009 by 3 Comments
Below I’ve (belatedly) written up some of the notes I took while attending Abu Garda’s first appearance before the ICC last week: May 18, 2009 There are two men. They are both Sudanese. They both have leadership positions. And they are both charged with serious crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC). But that is […]
Charging for attacks on peacekeepers
May 22, 2009 by Leave a Comment
The Age – one of Australia’s main national broadsheets, just published a piece I wrote about the charges against Abu Garda at the ICC. I’m not a fan of the headline they put on it, but my hat goes off to them for continuing to cover Darfur (like this piece they ran on JEM rebels being […]
“Gration Must Go” – a distraction
“Gration Must Go” is the call that has just been put out by some U.S.-based Darfur advocates – including people that, I should disclose, I respect the work of. They are sincere people, genuinely committed to improving the lives of people in Darfur. And yet I think that in making this call they are setting […]