Genocide Intervention Network's Genocide Monitor, December 10th, 2008;
"The ICC's chief prosecutor requests another arrest warrant, this time against Darfuri rebels, as he asks the international community to be prepared to take action against Sudanese President Bashir".
Ceasefire Declared and Broken
* Despite Bashir's declaration, the Sudanese government reportedly bombed several locations in North Darfur, including the area near the town of Kurbia on the 15th of November.16
The government denied the bombing and said that it was retaliating against a bandit attack on a convoy in the region. It also explained that the assault was not a ceasefire violation because bandits are not a party to the ceasefire.17
* UN peacekeepers and humanitarians remain targeted for violence in Darfur. On November 10 armed gunmen attacked UN troops near el Geneina in West Darfur, wounding one before being repelled by the peacekeepers.18
* The Sudanese government is allegedly using planes painted to resemble UN aircraft for reconnaissance near Jebel Marra.19
ICC News
* On November 20th, the Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, Luis Moreno-Ocampo applied for sealed arrest warrants against rebel commanders for the 2007 attack on AU peacekeepers at Haskanita.20
These applications are significant because they would be the first warrants issued for war crimes committed by rebels in Darfur and they emphasize the special status that peacekeepers have under international law due to their role in protecting civilians.
* On December 3rd, Ocampo briefed the UNSC, reporting that violence against civilians continues and up to 5,000 displaced people die every month in Darfur. He also said that the international community should prepare to arrest the Sudanese president if he is indicted by the court.21
Sudan: Opportunity in the Midst of Crisis
The crisis in Sudan is front and center on UN General Assembly's agenda this week. Following the or ICC's chief prosecutor’s request for an arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, the UN is presented with three opportunities for progress. Listen to a summation.
Blowback: How China torpedoes its investments
China’s support for despots in Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Burma is a bad investment. In the long-run, China’s own interests would better be served by standing up to states that abuse their own citizens.
IRRESOLUTION: The U.N. Security Council on Darfur
Steps toward an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir provides an opportunity for the U.N. Security Council to demand real changes in Khartoum’s policies and behavior.
