Toothless Avenger
The idea of an international court of justice is a comforting one in theory. But in practise it may achieve its purpose as a moral weapon in the international arsenal aiding the search of justice, more than a working tribunal whose findings can actually bring malfeasance to justice.Take the International Criminal Court's naming of a Sudanese cabinet minister along with a top commander of pro-government militias as the first identified war-crimes suspects in the Darfur region's conflict as a case in point.
The court's 20-month investigation into the five-year-old conflict in Sudan's Darfur region that has claimed an estimated 450,000 lives is prime indication that the investigators are satisfied their evidence of direct ties between the government of Sudan and the marauding, murdering janjaweed militias points a finger of direct blame and responsibility.
The chief prosecutor of the UN-backed court identified Ahmed Haroun, now Sudan's minister of state for humanitarian affairs, if you can believe it, as having committed crimes against the civilian population of Darfur, in conjunction with Ali Kosheib, a "colonel of colonels" among the janjaweed.
The charges include persecution, torture, murder and rape. In all 51 charges of alleged crimes committed throughout an 8-month period were brought. The international court's authority is rejected by the government of Sudan, which in any event, refuses to hand over the suspects, completely dismissing the allegations as fabrications.
Pretty much in line with their protests against the international community's 'interference' in the internal affairs of the Sudanese government, in any event. It continues to insist it has no connection to the janjaweed and the conflict, in any case is low-impact, with 'only' 9,000 lives lost.
African tribes representing the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa were targeted by the government and the janjaweed in response to an insurgency. Court documents attest that Mr. Haroun had been appointed minister of state for the interior and tasked with securing Darfur. His job was to manage the recruitment of the janjaweed militia which eventually grew to a force numbering tens of thousands.
"The evidence shows that Ahmed Haroun provided funds from a budget that was unlimited and not publicly audited. The janjaweed were paid in cash, and Ahmed Haroun was seen travelling with well-guarded boxes." Mr. Haroun himself admitted in a public speech that he had been "given all the power and authority to kill or forgive in Darfur for the sake of peace and security".
Prosecutors say that in August 2003, Mr. Kosheib was at a meeting at which Mr. Haroun claimed that since fighters from the Fur tribe had joined the rebellion "all the Fur" people had become "booty" for the janjaweed.
Labels: World Crises
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, February 28, 2007
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