EU raps Kenya over Bashir visit
From KBC (Kenya Broadcasting Corporation)
By Rosalia Opondo/Millicent Awuor
Monday, 30 August 2010
The European Union on Monday warned Kenya to tread carefully to avoid violating international laws.- - -
This follows the presence of Sudanese President Omar El Bashir in last Friday's constitution promulgation ceremony despite there being a warrant of arrest for him by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The EU urged the country to stick to its mandate and obligation under the Rome statute that she is a signatory to.
The Sudanese President is being sought by ICC for crimes against humanity committed in the Darfur region where thousands have died and millions others displaced in a conflict pitting the country's military and police against rebel groups.
In a statement, the spokesperson of the EU High Representative Catherine Ashton said Kenya should respect its obligations under international law to arrest and surrender those indicted by the ICC.
The EU asked Kenya to continue to cooperate with the ICC in its investigation into the 2007-2008 post-election violence in the country where several people are being investigated by the court.
"The European Union is a staunch supporter of the ICC as a valuable instrument of the international community to combat impunity for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole; genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes must not go unpunished and their prosecution must be ensured by measures at both domestic and international level, " Ashton said.
On Sunday former UN Secretary General and chairperson of the Eminent African personalities Kofi Annan said he was surprised to see Bashir in Nairobi.
Annan who brokered the National Accord to end a bloody conflict following the disputed results of the 2007 presidential elections and who attended the ceremony on Friday demanded that the Kenyan government clarifies its position, commitment and cooperation with the International Criminal Court.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has however defended Bashir's visit saying Kenya has no apologies to make as it placed regional integration and security above international laws.
EU urges Kenya to arrest Bashir, hand him to court
Report from AFP and EU Business - Friday, 27 August 2010, 18:19 CET
(BRUSSELS) - European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton urged Kenya on Friday to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and hand him over to an international court to face genocide charges.
"The high representative is concerned by the visit of President Omar Al-Bashir to Kenya, a State party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC)," Ashton's office said in a statement.
"She urges Kenya to respect its obligations under international law to arrest and surrender those indicted by the ICC," it said.
Bashir was among several African leaders who attended a ceremony in Nairobi in which Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki signed a new constitution into law.
The Sudanese president is subject to two arrest warrants issued by the ICC for atrocities committed by his forces in Sudan's western province of Darfur.
Kenya, as a signatory to the treaty which set up the ICC, is obliged to cooperate with the court and arrest Bashir.
It was Bashir's second visit to a signatory of the Rome Statute following a trip to Chad last month. At the time, Ashton had also urged Chad to arrest Bashir, but Chad ignored her plea.
The chief EU diplomat said the ICC was a "valuable instrument of the international community to combat impunity for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole."
She added that "genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes must not go unpunished and their prosecution must be ensured by measures at both domestic and international level."
In her statement, Ashton also urged Nairobi "to continue to cooperate with the ICC in its investigation into the 2007-2008 post-election violence" in Kenya.
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Statement by the spokesperson of HR Catherine Ashton on President Al-Bashir's visit to Kenya
Source: EUROPEAN UNION
Brussels, 27 August 2010
A 169/10 - Copy in full:
The spokesperson of High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission Catherine Ashton issued the following statement today:
"The High Representative is concerned by the visit of President Omar Al-Bashir to Kenya, a State party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
She firmly recalls the importance of all Member States of the United Nations abiding by and implementing the resolutions adopted by the Security Council under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, in this case, UNSCR 1593 (2005). She urges Kenya to respect its obligations under international law to arrest and surrender those indicted by the ICC.
She calls upon Kenya to continue to cooperate with the ICC in its investigation into the 2007-2008 post-election violence.
The European Union is a staunch supporter of the ICC as a valuable instrument of the international community to combat impunity for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole; genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes must not go unpunished and their prosecution must be ensured by measures at both domestic and international level."
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FOR FURTHER DETAILS:
Maja Kocijancic +32 498 984 425 - +32 2 298 65 70 - Maja.Kocijancic@ec.europa.eu
Darren Ennis +32 498 963 293 - +32 2 296 32 93 - Darren.Ennis@ec.europa.eu
COMM-SPP-HRVP-ASHTON@ec.europa.eu
www.eeas.europa.eu
