Sudan's Al Bashit Faces Arrest If He Shows Up At The WOrld Cup

Business Day (Johannesburg)
South Africa/Sudan: Arrest Threat for Sudan's Al-Bashir

Wyndham Hartley

28 May 2010


Cape Town — Sudan's recently re-elected President Omar al-Bashir faces arrest if he visits SA for the World Cup after President Jacob Zuma 's pledge yesterday to abide by international law.

Al-Bashir, who was sworn in for a further term as president yesterday, is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes. A warrant for his arrest has been issued.

SA is a signatory to the court's statute. All signatory states have to arrest such wanted individuals if they visit their countries.

This is the second time SA has tied itself in a diplomatic knot over al-Bashir. He was asked to stay away from Zuma's inauguration last year as the controversy threatened to overshadow the event.

During presidential question time in the National Assembly yesterday, Zuma was asked if al- Bashir would be arrested if he responded positively to the invitation sent to all African leaders to attend the World Cup opening.

In response to a question from Democratic Alliance MP Kenneth Mubu, Zuma said he respected international law, and would abide by the law.

Mubu repeated the question, and was given the same answer. If al-Bashir does visit, it will be SA's responsibility to arrest him.

Department of International Relations and Co-operation spokesman Saul Molobi could not say yesterday if al-Bashir had confirmed his attendance.

Zuma muddied the water a little when he said that he thought the African Union's decision to request the ICC to postpone its decision to issue an arrest warrant was the correct one.

This was because the issuing of the warrant could have further inflamed tension in Sudan, and made matters worse. The ICC has not withdrawn its arrest warrant for al-Bashir.

Zuma also failed again to repudiate ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema firmly, insisting that Malema's controversial visit to Zimbabwe and his open support for Zanu (PF) leader Robert Mugabe and the nationalisation of land had not undermined SA's mediation efforts in that country.

It was widely speculated recently that there was considerable anger in the ruling party over Malema's visit to Zimbabwe and the damage that it had done to SA's efforts to get all parties there to implement a global political agreement fully.

Zuma told MPs, in reply to a question by Inkatha Freedom Party MP Velaphi Ndlovu, that SA's role as an impartial mediator and facilitator still enjoyed the confidence of all parties involved.

"Neither the visit nor the statements to which the honourable member refers have hampered SA in the performance of this responsibility."


DA MP James Selfe then asked if, in the light of Malema's claim that the ANC Youth League's views had always prevailed, he would give an "unequivocal assurance" there would be no nationalisation of land or mines in SA.

Zuma said that the ANC had no policy for nationalisation, but he did not say it could never have such policies. He then again urged MPs to enter into the debate with Malema.

Zuma was jeered when he said that there was no fight going on in Zimbabwe. African Christian Democratic Party MP Cheryllyn Dudley had asked him if peacekeepers would be sent to Zimbabwe when they next went to the polls. To the astonishment of MPs, Zuma replied that peacekeepers were needed only where there "is a fight, and there is no fight in Zimbabwe".

The election would be monitored as usual, he said.

With Loyiso Langeni