Daily Darfur: The debate over justice

by Martha Heinemann Bixby · 2009-07-02 09:20:00 UTC
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The International Criminal Court and its prosecutor's case against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has been the topic of great discussion recently.

The Washington Post's Colum Lynch recently noted that the court is "under unusual fire," in part because of some African leader's push against the court and in favor of Bashir.

Those in favor of the court and its mission for international justice have been vocal in response.  As I noted the other day, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan recently had an op-ed in the New York Times in favor of the court and its case against Bashir.

Yesterday, the ICC's chief prosecutor wrote in the same space about his work and the importance of support for the pursuit for international justice .

The drafters of the Rome Statute were not naïve idealists. They were the ultimate realists. In their lifetimes, they had watched the Khmer Rouge kill millions, they had let Srebrenica happen and they had let Rwanda happen. They had failed the “never again” promises of their fathers. [...]

Even critics of the court are talking about ending impunity. Sometimes the process is painful and sometimes it is controversial, but it is changing international relations forever.

A number of Nobel Laureates and African leaders agree.  In a statement released recently, they said:

The people of Darfur deserve more than negotiating warlords forgiving each other for the violence – including brutal sexual violence – they have perpetrated primarily against women, children and other non-combatants.

And in an interesting turn, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson said in an interview:

“Notwithstanding all of this, an arrest warrant has been issued for Bashir by the ICC for war crimes in Darfur. He should do the right thing and face those charges,” he said.

Quickies (well, only one):

Check out this interesting interview with Rwanda Defense Forces' (RDF) Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Karenzi Karake, former Deputy Force Commander of the hybrid UN-AU under the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

Photo of the International Criminal Court building from Flickr user Michplay.

Martha Heinemann Bixby
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