Sudan's government says it is ready to work with the
international community in a compromise to improve the security situation in
the Darfur region. This comes after its delegation to the United Nations sought
to have a possible International Criminal Court (ICC) indictment against
President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir over human rights
abuses. The chief prosecutor of the ICC, Louis Moreno Ocampo accuses President
Bashir of committing genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in
Darfur. But Sudan's government maintains that a
possible indictment against President Bashir would derail Darfur peace talks.
The
United States and some European countries reportedly said they are ready to
have the indictment differ if Khartoum would change its policies in Darfur.
Ambassador Ali Saddick is
the spokesman for Sudan's foreign ministry. He tells reporter Peter Clottey
that Khartoum is ready to cooperate with anybody with no strings attached over
the ICC possible indictment of President Bashir.
"In fact our delegation headed by the
Vice President Ali Osman Taha was able to present the Sudan government's
position regarding the International Criminal Court. And in this regard, we
have made so many meetings and consultations with different groups and the vice
president also met with Condoleezza Rice and the special envoy Mr. Williamson.
And we briefed them on the support that Sudan has got from over 140 countries,
but there is, I think, some more work to go," Saddick noted.
He said The United States as well as some
European countries are skeptical about Sudan's role in the troubled Darfur
region and are demanding a dramatic change in Khartoum's policies.
"The Americans are not convinced with his
(Vice President Taha) position, and we are not convinced with the imposition
the Americans are using. The position is that they are ready to support any
suspension of the continuation of the ICC in the condition that some
development is being achieved on the ground in Darfur. And we are working on
that because the government now is working with the United Nations and the
African Union on two tracks - Peace and there is a political solution the negotiations
with the Abuja Agreement and on the other tracks the deployment of the UMISS
(United Nations Mission in Sudan) force in Darfur," he said.
Saddick said Khartoum has made
significant progress working with other nations to resolve the crisis in Darfur
as well as the possible ICC indictment of President Bashir.
"They were received very well in most of
the countries and we are still working with the French, the British and the
Americans, although the United States is just like us, we are not part of the
ICC statute. But I think we need to put in some more effort with those
countries so that overall objective of the African Union had agreed that this
indictment should be stopped at one point," Saddick pointed out.
He said Khartoum would not be pushed around
under any circumstances.
"It is the belief of the government of
Sudan and that of the African Union and the Arab League that if strings were
not attached to the issues, western governments, those three countries in
particular not all that has not been done regarding the situation in Darfur
does not lie on the government of Sudan because now, there is insecurity. The
government is trying to forge a security, but there are other factors who are
doing otherwise," he said.
Saddick said the government of President
Bashir is working with some international bodies to ensure peace and stability
returns to Darfur.
"The government of Sudan is helping the
United Nations to complete the deployment of the forces and all the
requirements for UNMIL to operate, but again the United Nations is not doing
anything, so, it is not entirely the government. We need other people to help
us to assist the United Nations to complete or to do its obligations regarding
the peaceful resettlement and the deployment of the 26 thousand strong force,"
Saddick noted.
He said although there was a need for
compromise on the way forward in addressing the insecurity situation in Darfur,
Khartoum would not be bullied.
"I can't agree more because we believe
that there should be some compromise if there are no political agenda, I think
we would reach some agreement very soon," he said.