The International Criminal Court in search of a defendant: The case of Omar al-Bashir
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14600/irpps_wps.92.2016Keywords:
International Criminal Court (ICC), Omar al-Bashir, Individual criminal accountabilityAbstract
This paper focuses on the political impact of the indictment of the Sudanese president, Omar al-Bashir, by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The paper analyses the effect that the two arrest warrants had on politics in Sudan, and the reactions and actions that the indictment sparked around the world. At a local level, the arrest warrant has done little to introduce a culture of accountability or to bring peace to Darfur. Regionally, the al-Bashir indictments have strengthened anti-ICC sentiment and sparked an aggressive backlash by the African Union. Finally, on the world stage, Arab states have strongly supported the Sudanese government’s position against the ICC whilst developing nations have prioritised economic affairs over human rights and Western powers have shown passivity in wanting to implement the warrant. All in all, the indictment of al-Bashir has damaged the credibility of the court at a global level and failed to bring justice to the people of Darfur.References
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