Daily Darfur: Is the US Ready for the ICC Indictment?

Not surprisingly, much of the buzz on the news wires reveals tense anticipation of impending ICC decision on the arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, which is expected this Wednesday.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the Chief Prosecutor for the ICC, submitted charges to a pre-trial panel in July, asking for the body to issue an arrest warrant for Bashir for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Save Darfur President Jerry Fowler told Voice of America:

"I would be very, very surprised if the judges, after reviewing the evidence, did not issue arrest warrants on at least some of the charges. It may not be all of the charges. But I think there's a strong case against the president. One thing that we have to keep in mind is that the prosecutor was operating under very difficult circumstances.  He could not go to Darfur to do his investigation. So it is somewhat difficult to put together a case when you can't visit the crime scene.  But he talked to many, many refugees who had left Darfur, and collected evidence that way."

Save Darfur is asking the Obama administration to make clear to Khartoum that the US and the rest of the international community will not tolerate a violent backlash after the ICC's decision in handed down. (I'm not sure exactly was this will entail --- a simply verbal condemnation definitely will not do the trick. It's times like these when I wish I could be a fly on the wall at the White House and/or State Department.)

Who's Afraid of The Hague?

Darfur's rebel factions, for their part, are pledging full cooperation with the ICC --- not only regarding the indictment of Bashir (which there's not really much for them to cooperate with, I would imagine), but with ICC cases against war crimes committed by the rebels themselves. From the Sudan Tribune:

“We are not calling for justice for the others and denying it for ourselves. Justice is justice and peace is peace and a crime is a crime. We will not hide and we mean it” the secretary of external affairs at the Darfur United Resistance Front (URF) Tag Al-Din Bashir said on a video broadcasted online.

“We don’t say to Bashir you go. No, we should also go when we have been called. We are going to cooperate very closely with the ICC and we are going to work hand in hand with the ICC to reveal all the truth and to implement international justice in a manner that is going to be a good example for us in Darfur, in Sudan, in Africa” he added.

Asked whether they will hand over any of their commanders if they indicted the URF official responded “it is not of the URF will hand them over, they will voluntarily go”.

Can't wait to see if they really mean it.

The Truth Will Set You Free ...or, Land You in Jail.

To show you how bent Khartoum is on deceit and deception: A foreign correspondent working for two Arabic news services was expelled from the country after he managed to film last month's clashes between Sudanese forces and Darfuri rebels around Muhajiriya. His materials were, of course, confiscated.

For more information on Sudan's attacks on journalists and general disregard for any semblance of freedom of the press, check out Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Other items of note...

Mark your calendars: Causes 2, the second album in a benefit series for Darfur, is set for release on May 5. All proceeds from the album go to Doctors Without Borders, Human Rights Watch, and Oxfam America.

The Save Darfur Coalition's Dollars for Darfur National School Challenge has named Horace Mann Middle School its February School of the Month.

Franklin Graham, president of relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, arrived in trip to Sudan this weekend to visit the organization's projects and advocate on behalf of Sudanese Christians.

Delegate Shannon Valentine told the Virginia House of Delegates that she will continue to push the state to enact Sudan divestment legislation.

Writer/activist/former Marine Scott Morgan talked to a group of high school students about Darfur last week.

Finally, Sojourner's Place writes about Darfur for Februrary's "Am I Not Human?" blog campaign.