ICC wants Kenya to arrest Bashir

By James Ratemo

The International Criminal Court (ICC) wants Kenya to arrest and hand over Sudan President Omar El Bashir if he attends the IGAD Summit scheduled for Nairobi on Saturday.

ICC requested Kenya to inform The hague-based court, no later than Friday, about any problem which would impede or prevent the arrest and subsequent surrender of Bashir in the event that he visits the country on Saturday.

“The Chamber, being seized on a notification of the Prosecutor informing the Judges of the possibility that Omar Al Bashir might travel to Kenya for an Inter-governmental Authority

for Development (IGAD) summit on 30 October, renewed its request to the Republic of Kenya to take any necessary measure to ensure that the President of Sudan, Omar Al Bashir, in the event that he travels to Kenya, be arrested and surrendered to the court in

accordance with its obligations as a State Party to the Rome Statute since 1 June, 2005,” read the ICC communique in part.

On 27 August 2010, ICC reported Kenya to the UN Security Council for failing to arrest Bashir when he attended the country’s promulgation of the new constitution.

Kenya was attacked for inviting and failing to arrest Bashir when he came to Nairobi.

The Human Rights Watch and US President Barack Obama led in the onslaught against Kenya.

Prime Minister, Raila Odinga said Bashir visit disgraced the promulgation occasion.

On March 4, last year, ICC issued a first warrant of arrest against Bashir, considering that there were reasonable grounds to believe that the suspect is criminally responsible for five counts of crimes against humanity and two counts of war crimes.

A second warrant of arrest was issued against Bashir on July 12 for three counts of genocide.