Ocampo: Sudanese govt will be held accountable

06/12/2011 21:18

ICC prosecutor says he lacks powers to intervene in South Kordofan and Blue NileLuis Maureno Ocampo, prosecutor at The Hague International Criminal Court (ICC), assured in an interview with Radio Dabanga that the Sudanese government will, sooner or later, be held accountable for its crimes before the court.The ICC issued an arrest warrant last Friday for Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein, the current defense minister, for the crimes he allegedly coordinated and supported in Darfur. “The people of Darfur should know that a prosecutor is working for their case,” he told Radio Dabanga.’Can’t intervene in other regions’When asked about the possibility to intervene in other conflict-struck regions, such as South Kordofan and Blue Nile, Ocampo explained that as long as the ICC does not have the jurisdiction necessary for local interventions, it will not be able to investigate regions outside of Darfur.“We could only intervene if, for example, the Republic of South Sudan would mandate an inquisition in South Kordofan. However, the RSS would have to join the International Criminal Court (ICC) first,” he told Radio Dabanga from The Hague.

ICC prosecutor says he lacks powers to intervene in South Kordofan and Blue Nile

Luis Maureno Ocampo, prosecutor at The Hague International Criminal Court (ICC), assured in an interview with Radio Dabanga that the Sudanese government will, sooner or later, be held accountable for its crimes before the court.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant last Friday for Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein, the current defense minister, for the crimes he allegedly coordinated and supported in Darfur. “The people of Darfur should know that a prosecutor is working for their case,” he told Radio Dabanga.

‘Can’t intervene in other regions’

When asked about the possibility to intervene in other conflict-struck regions, such as South Kordofan and Blue Nile, Ocampo explained that as long as the ICC does not have the jurisdiction necessary for local interventions, it will not be able to investigate regions outside of Darfur.

“We could only intervene if, for example, the Republic of South Sudan would mandate an inquisition in South Kordofan. However, the RSS would have to join the International Criminal Court (ICC) first,” he told Radio Dabanga from The Hague.