NCP commits another blunder in appointing a special prosecutor for Darfur War Crimes

By Madut A. Majok

The NCP has undoubtedly exhausted all options in its attempt to fight off the indictment against President Omar Al Bashir. If it had better alternatives it could have not settled for setting up another illegitimate prosecutor office like the one that failed earlier on to arraign Ahmed Haroun and Ali Kushayb.

Did Abdel Basit Sabdarat, the minister whose justice fell under his docket considers Sudan’s wounded reputation in the international circles when he issued his sham decree appointing a special prosecutor for Darfur War Crimes? Did he know that the international community has run out of patience with Sudan? Even the Chinese are now feeling the heat for supporting an ally that commit blunder after blunder.

If the intention of instituting prosecutor office three weeks after Al Bashir indictment is to evoke the ICC’s complimentary clause, then Mr. Sabdarat should have known the time he should have done that has gone. As observed by Dr. Hadi Shalluf, the defense counsel for Darfur, Sudan could have moved to prosecute war criminals a long time ago.

If the NCP is really serious about prosecuting Darfur war criminals, let it starts by firing both Haroun and Kushahb from their ministerial positions and detain them in Kobar prison before it tells the world about the sham prosecution office. It should have been clear by now that feet dragging is detrimental at the long run. The noose on Al Bashir neck is tightening each day and salvaging him from the ICC jaws require drastic actions not mere shameful acts like setting up a politically motivated prosecution office.