Kenya invited Bashir despite arrest warrant

WASHINGTON, Wednesday

Sudanese president Omar Hassan al-Bashir received an invitation to participate in the just ended summit of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Nairobi.

Foreign minister Moses Wetang’ula delivered the invitation from his boss President Kibaki during a meeting in the Sudanese capital with his counterpart Deng Alor.

Mr Wetang’ula was accompanied by Ethiopian minister of foreign affairs Seyoum Mesfin.

Mr Alor said that the visit came as part of an ongoing effort by IGAD to review the progress on the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and preparations for the upcoming elections in April.

He said that IGAD is concerned over the CPA implementation and relations between the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) which controls the South.

The Sudanese top diplomat also disclosed that his government requested a rescheduling of the IGAD summit to from March 9 to a date after the elections. But, IGAD did not heed the request.

Kenya which is a signatory of the Rome Statute treaty which forms the basis of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has an obligation to arrest Bashir (pictured) given an outstanding arrest warrant for him issued a year ago on charges related to crimes committed in Sudan’s western region of Darfur.

Furthermore, the ICC judges are currently mulling a request from the prosecutor to open a high profile investigation into post-election violence events in 2007 and 2008.

Last week, the ICC prosecutor filed a brief with the Pre-Trial judges in response to a clarification requested on the nature of the violent acts committed and proof that it can be classified as crimes against humanity with links to state as part of organisational policy. (Agencies)