The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Issue date: 3/31/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Amr Nabil - Associated Press Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir attends the closing session of the Arab summit in Doha, Qatar, Monday. Sudan's president, who is charged by an international court for war crimes, has lashed out at the U.N. Security Council and accused it of corruption. Speaking at an Arab League summit in Qatar, Omar al-Bashir criticized the Security Council for asking the International Criminal Court to launch an investigation into war crimes in Darfur. On March 4, the court issued an arrest warrant for al-Bashir.

DOHA, Qatar - The U.N. chief confronted Sudan's embattled president Monday with demands to allow the return of expelled aid groups to Darfur - and was met with a defiant response as Arab leaders rallied to his side to formally reject international war crime charges against him.

The Arab League declaration is likely to boost Omar al-Bashir's willingness to challenge the West and flaunt his wide support among Arabs in opposing the arrest order by the International Criminal Court.

Al-Bashir's attendance among other Arab leaders was his boldest public snub of the ICC's decision, bringing him to the same conference hall as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for the summit's opening speeches. Ban's spokeswoman, Michele Montas, said the two men were in the same room, but did not speak or interact.

"Relief efforts should not become politicized," Ban said. "People in need must be helped irrespective of political differences," he added in an appeal to resume relief efforts to Darfur.

There was no risk of arrest at the summit for al-Bashir, who had full backing of the 22-nation Arab League. The group later issued a formal declaration rejecting the ICC charges.

But it gave al-Bashir a forum to swipe at the court and the U.N. Security Council, which asked the ICC to open the investigation into war crimes in Darfur.

In his speech, al-Bashir called the Council an "undemocratic institution that ... applies double standards, targeting the weak and turning a blind eye to the (real) criminals."

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