PARIS, France, February 27, 2014 – Last Night, Sudanese President arrived to Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to participate in a summit of Heads of State and Government of the Common Market of East and South Africa (COMESA). He is subject to an arrest warrant of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his alleged responsability in the genocide in Darfur. As a State Party to the Rome Statute of the ICC, the DRC is under the obligation to immediately execute the arrest warrant and transfer Bashir to The Hague.

After having been notified by the ICC Office of the Prosecutor of Al Bashir’s visit to Kinshasa, today, the Pre-Trial Chamber of the ICC issued a decision requesting the DRC to arrest the Sudanese President.

“The DRC must show that it is on the side of victims of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide and arrest Al-Bashir”, stated Dismas Kitengue, Groupe Lotus President and FIDH Vice-President.

“The DRC has worked closely with the ICC in the past, and cannot ignore its obligations under the Rome Statute” said Paul Nsapu, Ligue des Electeurs President and FIDH Secretary General.

“Our authorities cannot deny this possibility of justice to the victims of the grave crimes committed in Darfur, and overlook this arrest warrant” stated ASADHO President, Jean Claude Katende.

“Ten years after the beginning of the conflict in Darfur, the arrest and transfer of Al-Bashir to the ICC would meet the need for justice of the victims of systematic human rights violations and international crimes” declared Osman Hummaida, Director of ACJPS.

SOURCE: International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH)