The International Criminal Court issued a warrant on Wednesday for the arrest of Sudan's president Omar al-Bashir for crimes against humanity. Laurence Blairon, spokeswoman for the ICC tribunal, said Bashir had directed violent attacks, and was responsible for "murdering, exterminating, raping, torturing and forcibly transferring large numbers of civilians and pillaging their property". It is thought that 300,000 people have been killed in clashes and raids in Darfur and millions more displaced since violence erupted in western Darfur in 2003.
The toD verdict: Although the term "genocide" was not used by the court, prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, who requested the arrest warrant last July, has claimed there is evidence that Bashir instructed forces to extinguish the entire Fur, Zaghawa and Masalit populations in Sudan.
Bashir has denied the charges, refusing to accept the ICC's jurisdiction and denouncing the arrest warrant as "worthless" given that an arrest can only be made in countries complying with ICC law. A presidential advisor to Bashir claimed the ICC decision was a predictable "mechanism of neo-colonialism".
Meanwhile, the UN has urged Sudan to co-operate and has pledged to continue its peacekeeping missions in the country. The warrant will be released to the Sudanese government imminently. Thousands of Bashir's supporters protested on the streets of Khartoum following the ruling, and the leading National Congress party announced a planned "million man march" for Thursday.
Reactions around the world have been mixed. While Russian officials called the move "dangerous" and Egypt condemned the ruling and called for the warrant to be deferred, the United States and various humanitarian groups hailed the ICC decision as progressive. The African Union expressed fears that the ICC verdict may increase frictions in the region rather than solve the problem. Various aid organisations were swiftly ejected or told to leave the country, and there are also worries that the peace deal signed with south Sudan in 2005 after over two decades of civil war, might be jeopardized by the developments.
Troops move into Mexican city
Over 1,500 heavily armed troops have moved into violence-stricken Ciudad Juarez on the US border in an attempt to bring order and combat fighting between drug cartels. Rival gangs are vying for control of the city which is a prime location for drug trafficking. Violent clashes are frequent, with an estimated 6,000 people killed in gang-related violence in the country last year. The army plan to have 7,500 troops and federal police stationed in Ciudad Juarez by the end of the week.
Pakistan vows to take severe action against gunmen
In the aftermath of attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore, President Asif Ali Zardari has assured the Sri Lankan foreign minister the attackers will be brought to justice using "irons hands". Around fourteen gunmen are thought to have been involved in the attacks which killed six policemen and drivers and injured eight members of the Sri Lankan cricket team. Several people have been detained for questioning regarding the attacks. Pakistan has said it is necessary to learn from experience and to work with Sri Lanka in tackling terrorism.
Iranian leader says Obama is on "wrong path"
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iranian Supreme Leader, has accused President Barack Obama of following the same "wrong path" as his forerunner George W Bush, despite the new president's promises for drastic change in US-Iran relations. Opposing a two state resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, a strategy which Secretary of State Hilary Clinton is currently engaging in talks to promote, Ayatollah Khamenei criticized the US administration for continuing to maintain its strong links with Israel.
WBURF blasts rock Yangon
Bomb blasts rocked the city of Yangon - the former capital of Myanmar - yesterday causing some damage to infrastructure but no casualties. The two bombs exploded within an hour of each other in Padomma Park and at a bus stop on the Yangon-Insein road. An organisation called the "Whole Burma United Revolutionary Front" (WBURF) has claimed to be behind attacks, which, according to a statement released today, signal the beginning of a militant campaign to oust military dictators. The group has said the blasts were a reaction against the brutal killings of peaceful protesters by the ruling junta.
