Sudan warns of violence if president is indicted
Sudan’s ruling party warned Sunday that there would be more violence in Darfur if the country’s president was indicted on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide, as hundreds of people rallied in Khartoum to show their support for the longtime leader.
A prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague is expected to seek an arrest warrant today charging President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir with orchestrating violence in Darfur that has left hundreds of thousands of people dead since 2003.
In Sudan, the ruling National Congress Party called the potential case against Bashir “irresponsible cheap political blackmail” with no legal basis, according to a statement from the party that was broadcast on state TV.
Bashir huddled with his Cabinet and advisors Sunday, weighing how the government would respond to any action taken by the ICC. Sudan has also asked the Arab League for an emergency meeting of foreign ministers.
Hundreds of Sudanese, many carrying flags and pro-government banners, rallied to show support for Bashir, who seized power in a 1989 coup.
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