An African Union summit meeting meant to discuss development issues was being overshadowed by the possible participation of Sudan’s president, who risks arrest on international criminal charges if he enters host nation South Africa.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is travelling to the talks along with dozens of other leaders in South Africa’s largest city Johannesburg, risking arrest due to standing International Criminal Court warrants for genocide and crimes against humanity, according to a report by the country’s state media published on Saturday.
International Criminal Court prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said South Africa was under a legal obligation to arrest al-Bashir and surrender him to the court. Her office has been in touch with South African authorities on the Sudanese president’s reported visit, she said in a telephone interview.
“We’ve been in contact and we are basically reminding them of their obligation under the Rome Statute to have him arrested if he gets to South Africa,” Bensouda said, referring to the court’s founding treaty.
