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Sudan angered by genocide claims Sudan angered by genocide claims
(about 3 hours later)
The Sudanese government has responded angrily after an international prosecutor accused President Omar al-Bashir of genocide in Darfur.The Sudanese government has responded angrily after an international prosecutor accused President Omar al-Bashir of genocide in Darfur.
Sudan's UN envoy said the International Criminal Court had no jurisdiction in Sudan and that it would not co-operate. Vice-President Ali Osman Taha said the evidence was false and indicated Sudan could try to halt the court's work. Sudan's UN envoy said the International Criminal Court had no jurisdiction in Sudan and that it would not co-operate.
Vice-President Ali Osman Taha said the evidence was false and indicated Sudan could try to halt the court's work.
A pro-government rally is due to take place in Khartoum soon and the UN is to begin removing some staff from Darfur.A pro-government rally is due to take place in Khartoum soon and the UN is to begin removing some staff from Darfur.
READ A SUMMARY OF THE CASE The situation in Darfur, Sudan [237.92KB] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here
The United Nations said the decision to pull back some non-essential staff came after recent violence and as a precaution after the genocide accusation.The United Nations said the decision to pull back some non-essential staff came after recent violence and as a precaution after the genocide accusation.
Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC), an independent body, have still to decide if there are reasonable grounds to issue an arrest warrant against Mr Bashir. READ A SUMMARY OF THE CASE class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/14_07_08_darfur.pdf">The situation in Darfur, Sudan [237.92KB] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader href="http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html">Download the reader here Mr Bashir, who says the accusations are lies, is accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur.
Sudan's president is quoted by Reuters as saying the accusations are lies. Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC), an independent body, are yet to decide if there are reasonable grounds to issue an arrest warrant against Mr Bashir.
'Irresponsible move' 'No jurisdiction'
Sudan's ambassador to the UN, Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad, told the BBC that Mr Bashir viewed the charges as a "political statement" and had no intention of co-operating with the ICC. The president's most senior adviser, Dr Ghazi Salaheddin, told the BBC that his country did not recognise the jurisdiction of the court and would rally support among allies in an attempt to block proceedings.
Sudan's ambassador to the UN rejects the genocide charges Efforts to indict a sitting head of state would set a dangerous precedent, he said.
He criticised ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo for indicting the president, whom he said had brought about a peace agreement to end Sudan's civil war.
"It is a very irresponsible move, it will affect negatively the peace process in the country," he said.
"It will have ramifications in the entire region. Our priority is peace in the country. Stopping bloodshed, making peace."
Mr Mohamed told the Associated Press that the government was bolstering its military capability in case rebel forces were encouraged by the situation to attack Khartoum.
Meanwhile, Sudan's vice-president said that although the authorities would endeavour to protect humanitarian staff working on the ground in Darfur, they could not guarantee their safety.
HAVE YOUR SAYI strongly support the ICC's move, I do not want to see people dying anymoreJob, SudanSend us your commentsHAVE YOUR SAYI strongly support the ICC's move, I do not want to see people dying anymoreJob, SudanSend us your comments
Speaking on behalf of the African Union chairman, Tanzanian Foreign Minister Bernard Membe urged the ICC to suspend until problems in Darfur were resolved its decision on whether to seek Mr Bashir's arrest. Allegations of genocide by the prosecutor were designed to generate hostility between tribal groups in Darfur, Mr Salaheddin said, adding thatan international commission recognised by the UN had already dismissed such claims.
Mr Salaheddin denied that the government of Sudan was blackmailing the international community by failing to provide security guarantees for peacekeepers and humanitarian staff.
However, he also said that if the ICC pursued the case it could jeopardise relations between Sudan and the UN.
The UN - which has no influence in the region - runs large-scale humanitarian operations in the region and has thousands of peacekeepers in Darfur as part of a joint mission with the African Union.
African Union dilemma
Elsewhere, China said it was concerned about the ICC's decision to seek the arrest of Omar al-Bashir.
A foreign ministry spokesman said China would continue to consult with other members of the UN Security Council about whether to block the ICC but would not speculate on possible results of talks.
ACCUSATIONS AGAINST BASHIR Genocide: Killing members of the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groupsCausing these groups serious bodily or mental harmInflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about these groups' physical destruction Crimes against humanity: MurderExterminationForcible transferRapeTorture War crimes: Attacks on civilians in DarfurPillaging towns and villages Bashir move bold but problematicNoose tightens around BashirChina's secret war in Sudan The US, which is not part of the ICC, offered some praise on Monday for prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo's charge.
"In our view, recognition of the humanitarian disaster and the atrocities that have gone on there is a positive thing," state department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
But the African Union (AU), which has troops on the ground in Darfur, urged caution.
Speaking on behalf of the AU chairman, Tanzanian Foreign Minister Bernard Membe said the ICC should suspend its decision on whether to seek Mr Bashir's arrest until problems in Darfur were resolved.
The Peace and Security Commissioner for the African Union, Ramtane Lamamra, has flown to Sudan for a meeting with Mr Bashir and other members of the government.
The AU Commission expressed concern that "hard-won gains made in the search for peace and reconciliation in the Sudan" could be jeopardised.
Foreign ministers of the 15 countries currently serving on the AU's Peace and Security Council are expected to meet in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital where the AU is based, some time next week.
The charges against President Bashir put African countries in an acutely difficult position, says the BBC's Liz Blunt in Addis Ababa.
They supply almost all the troops for the joint AU/UN peacekeeping force in Darfur, and are also the countries most likely to be called upon to carry out any arrest warrant.
Sudan's government is expected to meet friends from the Arab League on Saturday, reports the BBC's Karen Allen in Khartoum, to chart the way forward.Sudan's government is expected to meet friends from the Arab League on Saturday, reports the BBC's Karen Allen in Khartoum, to chart the way forward.
It will also seek to defend itself against what many consider to be an assault not only on the country's sovereignty but also an attack on Islam, our correspondent says. It will also seek to defend itself against what many consider to be an assault not only on the country's sovereignty, but also an attack on Islam, our correspondent says.
It has already refused to hand over two suspects whom Mr Moreno-Ocampo charged last year, Humanitarian Affairs Minister Ahmad Harun and militia leader Ali Kushayb.
UN relocation
The joint UN-African Union Darfur mission, Unamid, currently plans to relocate approximately 200 people.
One of my neighbours found a bullet in the gate of the house that he rents UN worker in Darfur Eyewitness: Darfur evacuationProfile: Sudan's Omar al-BashirOne of my neighbours found a bullet in the gate of the house that he rents UN worker in Darfur Eyewitness: Darfur evacuationProfile: Sudan's Omar al-Bashir
On 8 July, seven peacekeepers of the joint UN-African Union Darfur mission, Unamid, were killed and 22 injured after they were attacked by heavily armed militia in northern Darfur. On 8 July, seven Unamid peacekeepers of the joint UN-African Union Darfur mission were killed and 22 injured after they were attacked by heavily armed militia in northern Darfur.
As of May this year, Unamid included nearly 9,600 uniformed personnel and about 1,300 civilian staff, both international and local.As of May this year, Unamid included nearly 9,600 uniformed personnel and about 1,300 civilian staff, both international and local.
It is not clear how many will be withdrawn.
The UN - which has no influence over the ICC - runs large-scale humanitarian operations in the region.
A Sudanese official told the BBC that he had been informed by Unamid the evacuation would begin on Tuesday, and that the Sudanese government had had no say in the decision.
Security Council moves
Sudan's president was accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur by Mr Moreno-Ocampo.
He told judges at The Hague that Mr Bashir bore criminal responsibility for alleged atrocities committed over the past five years.
ACCUSATIONS AGAINST BASHIR Genocide: Killing members of the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groupsCausing these groups serious bodily or mental harmInflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about these groups' physical destruction Crimes against humanity: MurderExterminationForcible transferRapeTorture War crimes: Attacks on civilians in DarfurPillaging towns and villages Bashir move bold but problematicNoose tightens around BashirChina's secret war in Sudan
Sudan has refused to hand over two suspects who Mr Moreno-Ocampo charged last year, Humanitarian Affairs Minister Ahmad Harun and militia leader Ali Kushayb.
The BBC's Laura Trevelyan at the UN in New York says that Mr Ocampo was asked by the Security Council to investigate the killings in Darfur - and this means the 15-member body also has the power to suspend his work on the case for a year.
Behind the scenes, our correspondent says, Sudan has been lobbying China, Russia and African nations on the Security Council to see if it can win the nine votes needed to pass a resolution to do that.
It would be difficult for countries that recognise the ICC to vote to stop the prosecutor's work, as this would seem to undermine the court, she says.
But if there is a widespread feeling at the UN that Mr Ocampo's charges against Mr Bashir are destabilising Sudan, then the mood could change, our correspondent concludes.
Some 300,000 people have died as a result of the conflict in Darfur since 2003 while more than two million people have fled their homes, the UN estimates.Some 300,000 people have died as a result of the conflict in Darfur since 2003 while more than two million people have fled their homes, the UN estimates.
Sudan's government denies mobilising Arab Janjaweed militias to attack black African civilians in Darfur since rebels took up arms in 2003.Sudan's government denies mobilising Arab Janjaweed militias to attack black African civilians in Darfur since rebels took up arms in 2003.