ICC Chief Prosecutor Visits Sudan

International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan poses during an interview with Reuters at the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands, March 3, 2022. REUTERS/Christian Levaux
International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan poses during an interview with Reuters at the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands, March 3, 2022. REUTERS/Christian Levaux
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ICC Chief Prosecutor Visits Sudan

International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan poses during an interview with Reuters at the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands, March 3, 2022. REUTERS/Christian Levaux
International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan poses during an interview with Reuters at the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands, March 3, 2022. REUTERS/Christian Levaux

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor Karim Khan has arrived in Sudan, state media reported in the country still wracked by unrest since the 2019 ouster of its leader accused of genocide.

"The ICC prosecutor and a court delegation will hold a number of meetings with senior officials and he will be visiting the Darfur region," the state news agency SUNA said late Saturday.

Khan's visit will continue until August 25, SUNA said, a year after he visited the country for talks on outstanding arrest warrants over crimes committed during the 2003 Darfur war under ousted president Omar al-Bashir.

His visit this year is the third by an ICC prosecutor to Sudan since Bashir's ouster in April 2019, AFP reported.

Khan's predecessor, Fatou Bensouda, held talks in Sudan in May 2021, bringing the strife-hit country's former leaders one step closer to being tried at The Hague for war crimes.

Sudan has been reeling from deepening unrest, spiraling economic crisis, and a spike in ethnic clashes, including in Darfur, since a military coup last year led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

The October military coup upended a fragile transition put in place following the ouster of Bashir, who was deposed following months of protests.

Bashir remains wanted by the ICC over his role in the 2003 Darfur conflict.

The United Nations says 300,000 people were killed and 2.5 million displaced during the conflict.

Since his ouster, Bashir has been held in Khartoum's Kober prison along with several of his former aides who are also wanted by the ICC. He faces charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In April, senior Janjaweed militia leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd al-Rahman, also known by the nom de guerre Ali Kushayb, faced the ICC in its first trial for war crimes in Darfur.



Sudan’s Burhan Rules Out Peace Before Defeating RSF

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan greets his supporters in Omdurman, west of Khartoum, Sudan (File photo - AP)
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan greets his supporters in Omdurman, west of Khartoum, Sudan (File photo - AP)
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Sudan’s Burhan Rules Out Peace Before Defeating RSF

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan greets his supporters in Omdurman, west of Khartoum, Sudan (File photo - AP)
Abdel Fattah al-Burhan greets his supporters in Omdurman, west of Khartoum, Sudan (File photo - AP)

Sudan’s transitional Sovereign Council leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has pledged to press on with the war until the entire country is “liberated,” and vowed to eradicate what he called “the militia, their agents, and collaborators.”

He accused “colonial powers” of supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) with money, weapons, and mercenaries.

Speaking in Mauritania on Tuesday, Burhan said the fighting would not cease until “every inch desecrated by these criminals” is reclaimed.

He vowed to continue military operations until “all cities, villages, and rural areas in our beloved Sudan are freed,” according to a statement from the Sovereign Council’s media office.

Burhan said his country’s ties with domestic and foreign parties depend on their stance toward the ongoing war.

Burhan is on a tour of African nations, including Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Mauritania. Observers say the trip aims to restore Sudan’s African Union membership, suspended after the October 2021 coup, and rally support against the RSF.

Speaking in Mauritania, Burhan vowed to defeat the RSF, accusing them of crimes under the leadership of Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, generally referred to as Hemedti, and called for unity to end his influence.

“Our message is on the battlefield, not through words, until these criminals are eliminated,” he said.

Burhan insisted peace is only possible if the RSF and their allies are removed. “We support peace, but only if these Janjaweed and their mercenaries no longer exist,” he stated.

He described the conflict as a “battle for dignity,” saying it is a fight to protect the honor and homes of Sudanese citizens.