Sudan’s president not attending Saudi summit

President Omar Al Bashir will not take part in the Islamic-American Summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh this weekend. Taha El Hussein, Minister of State at the Presidency, will represent him.
On Friday, the Sudanese News Agency (SUNA) announced that Al Bashir will not participate in the meeting, to be attended by US President Donald Trump, because of “special reasons”.
Earlier this month, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz invited the Sudanese president, together with more than 50 leaders of Muslim countries, to attend the Islamic-American summit on extremism and terrorism in Riyadh on 20-21 May.
US officials had urged the country not to invite the president, indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2009 and 2010 for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Darfur.
In a statement on 17 May, the US Embassy in Khartoum reiterated Washington’s opposition to international travel by any person subject to outstanding ICC arrest warrants.

President Omar Al Bashir will not take part in the Islamic-American Summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh this weekend. Taha El Hussein, Minister of State at the Presidency, will represent him.

On Friday, the Sudanese News Agency (SUNA) announced that Al Bashir will not participate in the meeting, to be attended by US President Donald Trump, because of “special reasons”.

Earlier this month, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz invited the Sudanese president, together with more than 50 leaders of Muslim countries, to attend the Islamic-American summit on extremism and terrorism in Riyadh on 20-21 May.

US officials had urged the country not to invite the president, indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2009 and 2010 for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Darfur.

In a statement on 17 May, the US Embassy in Khartoum reiterated Washington’s opposition to international travel by any person subject to outstanding ICC arrest warrants. 

Below a France24 video with an interview with Omer Ismail of the US Enough Project commenting on Al Bashir’s cancellation.