Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

Russia Calls for ICC Withdrawal from Sudan's Darfur Case


(MENAFN) Russia is demanding the International Criminal Court strip away its authority over the Darfur investigation, denouncing the tribunal for political manipulation and operational failure, according to a Tuesday statement from the Russian Embassy in Egypt posted on Telegram.

The diplomatic mission claimed the ICC has "sabotaged" its investigative responsibilities concerning Sudan's Darfur region across nearly twenty years, only demonstrating fresh engagement as the humanitarian catastrophe intensifies. Moscow contends the court has overstepped its legal boundaries and warns that "politically driven decisions" by the tribunal threaten to deepen Sudan's chaos.

"Against the backdrop of the current bloody escalation in the Sudanese city of Al Fashir, Russia is urging the withdrawal of the Darfur file from the ICC," the statement read.

Moscow insists Sudan's challenges require resolution via "inclusive internal dialogue," rejecting foreign judicial interference as a catalyst for escalating conflict.

Russian authorities also attacked the court's track record, emphasizing that despite consuming approximately $200 million annually over two decades, the ICC has produced merely 14 final convictions.

During a Doha, Qatar press conference the same day, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres declared that securing commitment from the global community remains critical to conveying to both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the opposing Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that "this war is an absolutely intolerable thing" and that Sudan's unity and territorial integrity "must be preserved at all costs."

Sudan's Conflict and Foreign Interference Allegations
Monday saw the ICC Prosecutor's Office announce a fresh investigation into alleged atrocities in Al Fashir. Prosecutor Karim Khan confirmed his team was compiling evidence of potential war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The Sudan Doctors' Union reports over 2,200 fatalities and 390,000 displaced persons resulting from the paramilitary RSF's assault on El Fasher. The UN Security Council has denounced the campaign, cautioning about imminent mass atrocity risks. The RSF claimed it captured the city and the army's Sixth Infantry Division headquarters on October 26.

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