India to host Sudan President against US wishes

Notwithstanding the United States’ frowns, India is ready to play host to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who was indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for committing war crimes during the Darfur conflict in the early 2000s.

Bashir is among New Delhi’s invitees for the third India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS), which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host here on October 29, officials told Deccan Herald on Wednesday. Bashir is one among the 53 African leaders expected to attend the conclave, which is going to be the largest in New Delhi since the Commonwealth Summit held in 1983.

Reacting to Bashir’s current visit to Beijing, the US on Monday stated that it was opposed to “invitations, facilitation or support for travel by persons subject to outstanding ICC warrants”.

The ICC, which sits in The Hague, issued an international arrest warrant against Bashir in March 2009, indicting him for ordering atrocities against civilians in Darfur in western Sudan.

He was earlier accused of “masterminding and implementing” a campaign of genocide, rape and loot, targeting three ethnic communities–Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa–in Darfur since 2003.

Bashir commenced his visit to Beijing on Tuesday on an invitation by Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend a commemorative military parade at Tiananmen Square on Thursday to mark the 70th anniversary of World War II. Xi welcomed Bashir in Beijing on Tuesday and called him “an old friend” of China.

Washington was clearly not impressed. “As you know, he has been charged by the ICC–the International Criminal Court–with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide,” said US State Department ‘deputy spokesperson Mark Toner. “Warrants for his arrest remain outstanding and we strongly support the ICC’s efforts to hold accountable those responsible for those acts,” he added.

Though the US statement came in reaction to Bashir’s visit to China, New Delhi is aware that its own plan to host Sudanese President next month too will not be seen favourably in Washington.

New Delhi’s reasoning

Officials in New Delhi, however, pointed out that PM Modi was sending out invitations to the leaders of all countries in Africa to attend the IAFS and it was not possible to drop anyone. They also argued that India was not a signatory to the Rome Statute, which was adopted in 1998 paving the way for establishment of the ICC in 2002.

“We have nothing to do with the ICC. We have no obligation to go by what the ICC decides,” a senior official said. Beijing also put forward a similar argument reacting to the US statement on Sudanese President’s visit to China.

“African people, including Sudanese people, made important contributions to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. It is reasonable and justified for China to invite President Bashir to attend the commemorative activities. China will accord him with due treatment during his stay in China,” Hua Chunying, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Chinese government, told journalists in Beijing on Tuesday.