When U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visits Darfur on July 20, she needs to remind the Government of Sudan and all other parties to the conflict in Darfur that they are obligated to cooperate with the International Criminal Court, said Human Rights First. To date, the Sudanese government has categorically rejected the surrender of its citizens to the International Criminal Court for trial.
“As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, the United States bears a special responsibility for ensuring that the Government of Sudan cooperates fully with the Court’s investigation into the atrocities committed in Darfur,” said John Stompor, Senior Associate in the International Justice Program at Human Rights First.
“A necessary component of peace in Darfur is accountability for crimes against humanity and the other grave crimes committed in the region,” added Stompor. “Unless those responsible for such crimes are brought to justice, it will be impossible to promote the safe return of the millions of former residents of Darfur who have fled their homes.”
Human Rights First advocates for justice for victims in Darfur in partnership with the Darfur Consortium, a coalition of Africa-based human rights groups.
Background
Since 2003, more than two million people have fled their homes and nearly 400,000 people have died, largely as a result of a campaign of violence against civilians in Darfur by the Sudanese army and its proxy militia, the Janjaweed. Civilians have been victims of mass killings and rape, their villages have been burned, and they have been forced to flee for their lives.
In January 2005, the U.N.-appointed International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur found that crimes against humanity and war crimes had been committed in Darfur by the Government of Sudan and the Janjaweed militia forces. In addition, rebel forces opposed to the government were found to have committed war crimes in the region. The Commission also found that the Sudanese government had failed to demonstrate the ability or willingness to investigate and prosecute the grave crimes committed in Darfur.
Based on these findings, the Security Council voted in March 2005 to adopt resolution 1593, which referred the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court. Human Rights First has welcomed that fact that despite its opposition to the ICC, the U.S. government assented to the referral of the situation in Darfur to the ICC
In June 2005, the International Criminal Court’s Prosecutor formally opened an investigation into the grave crimes committed in Darfur.
