(credit: icc.twitter.com /  International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda

By Gary Raynaldo    DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

The top prosecutor of the  International Criminal Court is on a mission to bring ousted former Sudan President Omar al-Bashir to justice for alleged war crimes.  ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda arrived in Sudan on Sunday to  meet with officials of  the transitional government to urge them to hand over  al-Bashir and other former top officials wanted for war crimes and genocide in Darfur.  Bensouda recalled that ICC  arrest warrants remained in force for five alleged suspects including al-Bashir, who was tried and sentenced in Sudan for financial crimes last year and awaits trial on other cases, including in relation to the 1989 coup that brought him to power and crimes against humanity. 

“Our main purpose for coming here is to seek cooperation with current authorities of the Sudan, to discuss the case that already is about to start and also to seek cooperation with respect to the rest of the arrest warrants that have been issued in the situation in Darfur, Sudan.”

-ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda

Bensouda officials of the  transitional government in capital city Khartoum of the north-east African nation. 

(icc.twitter.com/   ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda meets with   Sudan PM Abdalla Hamdok  in Khartoum Oct. 19, 2020.

  “Victims in Darfur deserve to finally have justice. Through this visit, we hope to mark a new era of cooperation between the ICC & Sudan towards greater accountability for atrocity crimes.”

-ICC Prosecutor Bensouda

Credit:  Wikipedia / Former Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir  ruled the Northeast African country from October 16, 1993 – April 11, 2019

 Al-Bashir ruled Sudan for 30 years with an iron grip, was forced from power in a military-led coup last year.

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok said on  his government was committed to achieving justice for victims of war crimes. 

(icc.twitter.com/   ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda meets with   Sudan transitional government in Khartoum.