Hassan al-Bashir Sudan’s ICC wanted President to visit Russia Next Month

Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir will travel to Russia next month, Khartoum authorities said on Monday, a rare overseas trip for a leader wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity.

Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said Bashir was invited by Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss bilateral, regional, and global issues.

The visit, scheduled for the second half of August, comes as Sudan awaits a decision by the United States on whether to lift a 20-year-old trade embargo and other major sanctions.

Meanwhile, South Africa has been summoned to appear before the International Criminal Court (ICC) next week Friday to “account for failing to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir when he attended an African Union summit in the country in June 2015”.

Al-Bashir was wanted by the ICC for crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes committed in Sudan’s western province where at least 300 000 people were reported to have died.

“Next Friday, 7 April 2017, South Africa will appear before the Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to argue why the Court should not make a finding of non-compliance against the country for its failure to arrest President Omar Al-Bashir when he attended an African Union Summit in South Africa in June 2015,” the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) said in a statement last Thursday.
Pix caption: Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir

Bonny Amadi with agency reports