Darfur Saga in the Hands of the World

For those who are catching up. The Enough Project has a great summary of the events of the day following the indictment of Sudan’s President al-Brashir.

That impunity will no longer be acceptable is the message. What follows depends on how the rest of the world responds to this warrant for the arrest of al-Brashir .

If anything this is a message to the victims. A message that the world will demand justice for them as they continue to demand justice for themselves.

The official White House response to the warrant via Press Secretary Robert Gibbs :

The White House believes that those who have committed atrocities should be held accountable; that as this process moves forward, that we would urge restraint on the part of all parties, including the government of Sudan; that further violence against civilian Sudanese or foreign interests is to be avoided and won’t be tolerated.

“The President and this White House are determined to support the pursuit of an immediate cease-fire and long-term peace in the region. Obviously there are many efforts that are ongoing in the region to help those that have been displaced, and the President believes those efforts should and must continue,” Gibbs told White House reporters today.

Answering Your Darfur Questions: Kristoff

Mercy Corp has had it’s registration revoked by the government of Sudan, no reason given, and will be “halting programs in Darfur and Khartoum effective immediately to begin implementing the closeout process as outlined by the government.” They “remain committed to lifesaving humanitarian assistance, and find the governments decision regrettable”.

In Darfur, street protests over Bashir arrest warrant CSM / Mohamed Nureldin, Abdallah/Reuters
“Jihad, Jihad, Jihad,” was the chant, before they listed their enemies: “Luis Moreno-Ocampo” and “America.”

Sudan urges friendly countries to withdraw from The Hague court
Sudan: Darfuri Survivors Welcome ICC Arrest Warrant for Omar al-Bashir

According to Reuters/Louis Charbonneau
Sudan’s U.N. ambassador invoked Shakespeare’s tragedy “Macbeth” on Wednesday when he condemned the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for the Sudanese leader over Darfur.

Speaking to reporters at U.N. headquarters, Sudanese Ambassador Abdalmahmoud Abdalhaleem dismissed the court’s indictment of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir by recalling Lady Macbeth’s famous speech towards the end of the play.

“All perfumes of Arabia will not clean this dirt,” Abdalhaleem said. “For us the ICC doesn’t exist … and we are in no way going to cooperate with it.”

I prefer this one.

“Like valor’s minion carved out his passage
Till he faced the slave.”