Bashir cancels plan to attend UN GA in NY:
Sudan’s ministry of foreign affairs said that Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has abandoned his plan to lead his government’s delegation at the UN general assembly in New York this week. Under indictment for war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC), al-Bashir vowed last month that he would attend the UN meetings and that the United States had nor right to block his visit. The Sudanese government confirmed that foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour will take al-Bashir’s place and lead the government delegation this week. Ghandour will address the UN General Assembly, meet with his American counterpart John Kerry and meet with the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Ghandour said the meeting with the US Secretary of State is to “follow up on implementation of the outcome of the recent meetings in Washington and the meetings that were recently held in Khartoum with the US envoy” and there will be other meetings with foreign ministers from more than 20 countries. The recently held meetings in Khartoum regarded a US special envoy discussing the issue of lifting Sudan’s name from the list of countries that the United States accuses of sponsoring terrorism. The ICC issued an international warrant for al-Bashir’s arrest in 2009 and the South African government has ignored the court order calling for his arrest ever since. (allAfrica)
Sri Lanka rejects recommendation for international assistance; Rajapaksa rejects report: Sri Lanka’s prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, said on Tuesday 22 September 2015 that Sri Lanka will take the recommendation to address accountability and justice by initiating a special court to address the crimes but they will not be seeking international assistance or having an international element in the trials. Wickremesinghe said talks were under way to establish a credible domestic mechanism to investigate the abuses that occurred during the decades-long conflict with Tamil separatist rebels, ending in May 2009. Members of Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority said they don’t trust a local inquiry to reach the truth about the conflict and Preisdent Maithripala Sirisena and his new government have vowed to punish war criminals. His government has proposed a series of new measures to promote reconciliation and accountability after accusing the previous administration of breaking promises to deliver justice. The new government also announced that it would set up a South African-style truth commission, a war reparations office and a commission on missing people. Following the UN report’s release former President Rajapaksa criticized the findings of the report and has stated that; “neither the OHCHR not the UNHRC have the authority to set up an international war crimes tribunal. The only body with the authority to do so is the UN Security Council where the veto power of China and Russia will be a factor to contend with.” (Sri Lanka Guardian, The Economic Times) (For additional information please click here)
Extraordinary African Chamber hears testimony of Chad’s power over political police: On Wednesday, 23 September 2015, the Extraordinary African Chamber heard testimony from Bandjim Bandoum, a top officer in the Documentation and Security Directorate (DDS) under Habre’s regime. Bandoum specifically testified that Chad’s political police acted entirely under the orders of dictator Hissene Habre. Bandoum stated that Habre was “aware of everything that was happening” in the department’s detention centers” and that “even Habre’s closest collaborators were afraid of him.” Bandoum added that DDS agents who challenged orders given to them by Habre risked their lives and the safety of their families. Bandoum fled Chad to live in France. Defense Attorney Mbaye Sene attempted to cast doubt on Habre’s knowledge during cross examination stating, in part, that; “if you’ve never been to the presidency, you’ve never talked to him.” Habre, age 73, fled to Dakar after being deposed in 1990 and is being prosecuted for war crimes, crimes against humanity and torture during eight years of repression. Habre has been in custody in Senegal since his arrest in June 2013 and refuses to recognize the African Union-mandated court’s authority. Last week, President of a commission into atrocities committed under Habre, Mahamat Hassan Akabar, told the court that the number of Chadians killed during the dictator’s time in power far exceeded 40,000. (Yahoo! News)
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