ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda renewed her claim to extradite those accused of crimes in Darfur, while the Sudanese government announced its willingness to discuss their appearance before the court.

In a statement before the UN Security Council, Bensouda welcomed the handing over of Ali Kushayb, accused of war crimes in Darfur, to the court.

The handover of Janjaweed militia leader Ali Kushayb, she said, is a pivotal development, especially for the victims who have long awaited justice.

Bensouda emphasized that the court is ready to cooperate with the transitional government in Sudan to investigate the crimes committed in Darfur, and appealed to the government of Sudan to enter into negotiations to track down the perpetrators of war crimes in Darfur.

She said that the demands of the Sudanese people in achieving justice and accountability must remain among the priorities of the government, noting that the court has not yet received a call from the government regarding any agreement regarding the extradition of those wanted.

Welcome and ready

On the other hand, and in the first official Sudanese response, the Sudanese government welcomed the announcement by the International Criminal Court, through its public prosecutor, that the accused, Ali Muhammad Ali Abd al-Rahman, the famous Ali Kushayb, had received himself in Central Africa.

A brief statement by government spokesman Faisal Mohamed Saleh said that Kushayb is also charged with the Sudanese authorities with crimes.

The statement indicated that the government is ready to discuss the issue of bringing the remaining accused wanted by the International Criminal Court, as part of the Sudanese authorities' pursuit of justice for victims of the war in Darfur.

In 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2012, the court issued arrest warrants for the ousted president, al-Bashir, former defense minister Abd al-Rahim Hussain, and Ahmad Harun, an aide to al-Bashir and a former interior minister, and Kushayb; On charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur.

Al-Bashir (76 years) was sentenced last December to spend two years in a social reform center, to convict him on charges of financial corruption, as Sudanese law prohibits imprisonment of people over the age of 70 years.