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