The United States should cease its efforts to prevent the U.N. Security Council from adopting a French-sponsored draft resolution that authorizes the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate and prosecute the grave crimes committed in Darfur, urged Human Rights First.
As an alternative to this draft resolution, which is currently before the Security Council, the United States has proposed a so-called placeholder resolution that calls for further discussion of accountability options for Darfur.
“It’s disheartening to see the United States stand in the way of justice for the people of Darfur and risk prolonging their suffering,” said John Stompor, Senior Associate in the International Justice program of Human Rights First. “Months of delay at the Security Council have already contributed to a worsening of the situation in the region.”
Almost two months have passed since the U.N.-appointed International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur completed its report, which strongly recommended the immediate referral of the situation of Darfur to the ICC. During this period, the African Union’s envoy to Sudan has reported that the situation in Darfur is deteriorating, and the United Nations has predicted that, unless conditions improve, the number of displaced persons in Darfur will grow from 1.8 million to 3 million before the end of the year.
“U.S. efforts to derail a referral to the ICC are not based on practical considerations related to ensuring justice for the people of Darfur,” said Stompor. “The United States has not disputed that the ICC is the most expeditious means to hold accountable those responsible for the atrocities in the region.”
The ICC is the only permanent judicial institution with the power to exercise jurisdiction over persons for the most serious crimes of international concern – genocide, other crimes against humanity, and war crimes. In addition, because the ICC is now operating, it could rapidly begin investigating and prosecuting those who bear the greatest responsibility for the grave crimes committed in Darfur.
“Permitting an ICC referral would also be consistent with long-time U.S. policy in support of war crimes tribunals authorized by the Security Council,” added Stompor. “The United States can continue to press its objections to the ICC in other fora, but there is nothing in the Security Council referring cases to the ICC that conflicts with long-held U.S. positions on the functioning of an international criminal court. It is past time, for the sake of the people of Darfur, for the U.S. to stop being an obstacle to the process of accountability for the gross crimes that continue to be committed there.”
