ICC’s decision against Bashir meant to cripple African authorities

The International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo recently issued an arrest warrant for the Sudanese president Omar-El-Bashir. This raised reactions across the African continent and in Asia as well as in Arabic countries. The Egyptian, Senegalese and the Chinese presidents immediately condemned the decision and called for immediate suspension of the warrant for at least one year. Bashirs’ supporters in the Sudan called for indefinite suspension of the case saying that the alleged cases are baseless and are meant to disorganize and destroy their country. To many Africans the arrest warrant was interpreted as the white man’s disrespect for African leadership. In fact, I see it as away of undermining, demeaning and seeing no sense of direction in the institution of the presidency on our continent. Actually, the ICC’s credibility is now questionable, as we have started to think it was created for Africans alone. At least as far as I am aware no white was indicted or even accused by this court as if they are ‘angels’ living on this planet. To this, I beg to be corrected if I am wrong. They argue that President Bashir is to be charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity and I don’t disagree with them. I do not support any violation of human rights. I only wonder whether, there are no white men that have ever gotten involved in war crimes and crimes against humanity. I think the best analysts are in the best position to answer my worries. The African Union’s position on Bashir’s case is clear enough that Moreno Ocampo could have heard and respected their concerns. The AU does not actually want to shield Bashir from being prosecuted but their concern is based on the fact that the timing for issuing the arrest warrant is inappropriate especially when there is need to negotiate for the return of peace in the Darfur region. Moreover, when the comprehensive peace agreement in the south is still being monitored and implemented. In fact, my conscience tells me that the ICC and its chief prosecutor are agents of neo-colonialism. Their target is to weaken the institution of the presidency in Africa. Ocampo’s sword is yet to strike hard on all the powerful Africans and will most likely save none. His sword is meant to cripple African authorities so that we may succumb to the white man’s ideology. If I may ask who has charged or even raising a finger to the French authorities that supported and participated in the 1994 Rwanda genocide? It is not because the ICC is not aware of the existence of these elements in France and has not failed to indict or arrest them either. But because of negligence or laxity in taking action against their fellow whites they have kept quite and tended to forget that these genocides exist. Consequences of irresponsible ICC actions are far reaching; The Sudanese government in retaliation has decided to ask many aid agencies operating in their country to pack their belongings and leave. The repercussions are of course devastating to the ordinary Sudanese who were depending on these agencies for a livehood and the western world does not mind about millions of people that will suffer as a result. African leaders should stand up in unison and condemn this arrest warrant and neither should they assist them to execute the arrest. Phatari@ yahoo.co.uk