Human rights organizations urged the Sudanese authorities to expedite the extradition of former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court, after the new authorities in the country pledged to bring him to justice on charges of "committing war crimes in Darfur", but did not say when the decision would be implemented.
Sudanese officials revealed that the ruling sovereign council agreed with some factions to hand Bashir, and three of his aides, to the court, which is based in The Hague, for their role in the conflict in the western region of Darfur.
"The Sudanese authorities must translate these words into deeds, and hand over Bashir and other individuals immediately, in accordance with the ICC warrant," said acting director of Amnesty International's Secretary-General, Julie Ferrhar, in a statement.
Omar al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of "murder, genocide, forced deportation, torture and rape, which killed hundreds of thousands of people during the conflict in Darfur that erupted in 2003."
"The decision to hand him over to the court will be welcomed, as it is a step towards justice for the victims and their families," said Verhar.
"The large-scale attacks by the Sudanese security forces on civilians as part of the campaign of intimidation led by al-Bashir, including sexual violence, have had a devastating effect on the lives and livelihoods of their victims," the NGO Physicians for Human Rights said in a statement. "It has been a long time, and the victims and their families have not had access to justice," she added.
The conflict erupted in Darfur, when rebels belonging to African minorities took up arms against the Bashir government, and the International Criminal Court accused Bashir of "committing genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, because of his role in the conflict", but he denied these accusations, and the court charged Likewise, three of his former aides: Ahmed Haroun, Abd al-Rahim Muhammad Husayn and Ali Kushid, and al-Bashir are currently being held in Sudan, where he has been charged with corruption.
The member of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan, Mohamed Hassan Al-Taayishi, while he was in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, where he met a government delegation with rebel factions, the day before yesterday, that the government is convinced to agree to the appearance of those against whom arrest warrants were issued before the International Criminal Court, and added This is "the product of a fundamental principle linked to justice."
He continued, in statements to reporters in Juba: "We agreed to fully support the International Criminal Court, and we agreed to extradite the four criminals wanted by the court, one of whom is al-Bashir and three others, and we fully support the criminal court's accusations in confronting them and the need to extradite them," but he did not specify when the decision will be implemented.
In turn, the Sudanese government spokesman, Faisal Mohamed Saleh, confirmed to "France Press" that "Al-Bashir and others will appear before the International Criminal Court. This is the government's decision and its position."
• "Amnesty International": "Sudan must translate words into deeds, and hand over Bashir and the rest immediately."