Sudan affirmed its readiness to cooperate with the International Criminal Court regarding its wanted persons, and at the same time stressed the independence of the Sudanese judiciary, during the visit of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, to Khartoum.
The first deputy head of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), said that the government of the transitional period is ready to cooperate with the International Criminal Court.
A statement issued by the Sovereign Council stated that Hemedti - who met Fatou Bensouda in Khartoum - confirmed that the Sudanese judiciary enjoys independence that prevents government interference in its work.
During his meeting with Bensouda on the second day of her visit, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok declared, on his part, that Sudan's commitment to achieving justice is a response to popular demands.
In turn, Bensouda clarified that the purpose of her visit to Khartoum is to discuss means of cooperation in the case now before the court, as well as to discuss cooperation regarding other arrest warrants issued by the court, stressing the need to achieve justice for the victims in Darfur.
Bensouda arrived in Khartoum on Saturday on a 5-day visit to Sudan to discuss the issues being considered by the court related to the western Darfur region.
On June 10, Bensouda informed the UN Security Council that Ali Kushayb, a leader of the Sudanese Janjaweed militia (loyal to the former regime of Omar al-Bashir), is being held at the court’s headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands.
In 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012, the court issued arrest warrants against al-Bashir, former Defense Minister Abdel Rahim Hussein, Ahmed Muhammad Haroun, an assistant to al-Bashir and a former Minister of Interior, and Kosheib, on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur.
Since 2003, the region has witnessed an armed conflict between government forces and rebel armed movements, which has claimed the lives of about 300,000 people and displaced about 2.5 million others, according to the United Nations.