Storm over al-Bashir's surprise visit

• Kenya on the spot for hosting Sudanese leader indicted by The Hague
• MPs demand answers from Foreign ministry over surprise visit by man wanted over mass killings in Darfur

Kenya was in the eye of a storm on Saturday over its decision to invite Sudan President Omar al-Bashir to witness the promulgation of the new Constitution on Friday.

US President Barack Obama led the condemnation by the international community and local leaders over the Sudan leader’s presence during the historic ceremony at Uhuru Park.

In a statement issued from the White House, President Obama said he was “disappointed that Kenya hosted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in defiance of International Criminal Court arrest warrants for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide”.

He added: “In Kenya and beyond, justice is a critical ingredient for lasting peace.”

Noting that Kenya has committed itself to full cooperation with the ICC, President Obama asked Kenya to honour those commitments.

The US leader spoke as the ICC reported Kenya to the UN Security Council over President Bashir’s visit.

A statement said the court “informs the Security Council of the United Nations and the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute about Omar al-Bashir’s presence on the territory of the Republic of Kenya, in order for them to take any measure they may deem appropriate”.

“The Republic of Kenya has a clear obligation to co-operate with the Court in relation to the enforcement of such warrants of arrest,” it added.

The Southern Sudan government was also furious, accusing Kenya of humiliating its leader Salva Kiir by inviting him and President Bashir to the same function.

“We were shocked to see him there. Why did the Kenya government invite our president while knowing very well that they had invited Bashir,” charged the head of the Southern Sudan referendum campaign, John Andruga Duku.

“Our president was all set to travel to Nairobi for the ceremony and had even sent his advance team, only to be called by President Bashir on Thursday afternoon informing him that he would be in Nairobi. Mr Kiir had no choice but to cancel his trip because protocol does not allow them to travel out of the country at the same time,” Mr Duku added.

In Nairobi, ODM ministers and MPs under the auspices of the Parliamentarians for Global Action demanded an explanation from the government over President Bashir’s attendance saying they were duped by the government that Mr Kiir would represent Sudan at the ceremony.

Addressing a press conference at Orange House, Cabinet ministers Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o, James Orengo and Amason Kingi said they were seeking answers over the incident.

“We would like to assure Kenyans that ODM will do its best, as a partner in the coalition government, to obtain proper explanation from the ministry of Foreign Affairs,” said Prof Nyong’o. “We will seek to know how President Bashir came here and why the government as a whole was neither consulted nor informed before such an unfortunate invitation was issued.”

The Parliamentarians for Global Action, who included David Musila, David Were, Musa Sirma and Abdul Bahari said they would demand a ministerial statement on the matter when Parliament resumes on Tuesday.

Were shocked

“We were shocked beyond words when we heard the master of ceremonies announce the arrival of President Bashir at Uhuru Park,” said Mr Musila. “His name was not on the list of invited guests that we had and some of us had been assured by a government official that Sudan would be represented at the function by President of the South, Mr Salva Kiir.”

The Sudan leader has two arrest warrants over charges that relate to atrocities committed by Khartoum’s forces in Sudan’s western province of Darfur.