A letter submitted to ICC by Civil society organizations

The Hague 30 July 2010

International Criminal Court
Maanweg, 174
2516 AB, The Hague
The Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo


Your Excellency Mr. Moreno Ocampo,

Since 2003, Sudanese government has unabatedly been committing gross crimes against the people of Darfur with utter impunity.

Three years after the Security Council requested you to investigate the crimes in Darfur, and based on the evidence collected, you, The Chief Prosecutor of The International Criminal Court, concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Omar Hassan Ahmad AL BASHIR bears criminal responsibility due to his role in the horrendous crimes committed in Darfur.

You, then, announced the indictment of the president of the Sudan Omar Hassan Al-Bashir on counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity on July 14th 2008 and requested the judges of Pre-Trial Chamber I to issue an arrest warrant against Al-Bashir. Pre-Trial Chamber I at the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a first warrant of arrest against Marshal Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir for his role in escalating violence and the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Western Sudan. He was accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur since 2003.

Despite the first arrest warrant against him, al-Bashir seemed defiant and unwilling to cease committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court then issued a second warrant of arrest against the president of Sudan, Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir, for three counts of genocide committed against the people of Darfur.

Justice done and seen to be done is one of the main demands of the people of Darfur. Fundamental justice that overarches the suffering of the victims of the conflict in Darfur commands that all individuals responsible for authorising, organising or executing the massive crimes committed against innocent civilians should be held accountable. That is what you have done and are still doing to help the people of Darfur realized the dream that they have so long wished for.

We, the undersigned civil society organizations, unequivocally support the decision of the judges of Pre-Trial Chamber I by issuing a second arrest warrant on July 12th, 2010 and your persistent efforts to bring the gross atrocities to the attention of international community to stop genocide in Darfur. It has come at a time when violence, insecurity and impunity in Darfur have significantly increased.


Thank you,

Signed by:

1- Darfur Union in The Netherlands
2- Darfur Union in UK and Northern Ireland
3- Darfur Relief and Documentation Centre – Switzerland
4- DPDC - Darfur Peace and Development Centre - Switzerland
5- Darfur Culture and Heritage Belgium
6- Darfur Call - Netherlands
7- Darfur Community Belgium
8- Darfur Solidarity Ireland – Republic of Ireland
9- Darfur Union in Germany
10- Darfur Union in Italy
11- Darfur Association - France
12- Darfur Solidarity Group - South Africa
13- Darfur Friedens- und Entwicklungs-Zentrum – Switzerland
14- Darfur Community Association -South Africa
15- Sudanese Union of Marginalized Majority – South Africa
16- Darfur Union in Norway

Justice for Darfur Victims - Jail for Bashir

By Don Kraus,

The indictment of Sudanese President al-Bashir on charges of genocide by the International Criminal Court (ICC) is a critical step forward for the victims of Darfur. This action sends a clear signal to world leaders that there is no immunity for genocide.

This is the first time the ICC has brought charges of genocide against a sitting head of state. The charges send a clear signal from the world community that crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes will not be tolerated. The message is "mass atrocities = jail."

The charges also provide an important opportunity for the Obama Administration to work with the Court to bring one of the world's worst criminals to justice and to create a more peaceful future for Sudan. Read more >>>>>>>>>>>>>

Pre-Trial Chamber I issues a second warrant of arrest against Omar Al Bashir for counts of genocide

Today, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a second warrant of arrest against the President of Sudan, Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir, considering that there are reasonable grounds to believe him responsible for three counts of genocide committed against the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups, that include: genocide by killing, genocide by causing serious bodily or mental harm and genocide by deliberately inflicting on each target group conditions of life calculated to bring about the group’s physical destruction.

This second arrest warrant does not replace or revoke in any respect the first warrant of arrest issued against Mr Al Bashir on 4 March, 2009, which shall thus remain in effect. In the previous arrest warrant, the Chamber considered that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Al Bashir is criminally responsible for five counts of crimes against humanity (murder, extermination, forcible transfer, torture and rape) and two counts for war crimes (intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population as such or against individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities, and pillaging).

On 4 March, 2009, Pre-Trial Chamber I had rejected the Prosecutor’s application in respect of the crime of genocide. On 6 July, 2009, the Prosecutor filed an appeal against this decision.
On 3 February, 2010, the Appeals Chamber rendered its judgment on the Prosecutor’s appeal, reversing, by unanimous decision, Pre-Trial Chamber I’s decision of 4 March, 2009, to the extent that Pre-Trial Chamber I decided “not to issue a warrant of arrest in respect of the charge of genocide in view of an erroneous standard of proof”. The Appeals Chamber directed the Pre-Trial Chamber to decide anew whether or not the arrest warrant should be extended to cover the charge of genocide. Applying the standard of proof as identified by the Appeals Chamber, Pre-Trial Chamber I concluded today that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Al Bashir acted with specific intent to destroy in part the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups. Read more >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>