KHARTOUM: Thousands of protesters chanting “Down, Down USA!” rallied in Khartoum yesterday after reports that the International Criminal Court (ICC) may seek the arrest of Sudan’s president for alleged war crimes.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, who is currently vacationing in Casablanca, yesterday received a telephone call from President Omar Bashir and discussed with him the latest regional and international developments, the Saudi Press Agency said.
“With our souls, with our blood we die for Bashir,” the protesters chanted as they marched through the streets of Khartoum toward the offices of the United Nations.
The government-organized protest brought traffic to a standstill. Hundreds of people also gathered near Cabinet Office, where the government held emergency talks. “The ICC does just what the European Union, the United States of America and Israel tell it to do,” the protesters said in a statement delivered to the UN offices.
Sudanese Justice Minister Abdel Basit Sabderat said the ICC was trying to ignite a fire throughout his country. Most of the protesters were government workers or from unions linked to Bashir’s dominant National Congress Party (NCP). The demonstration was organized by the NCP’s Sudanese Student Union and other government groups.
The party issued a statement predicting “more violence and bloodshed” in Darfur if Bashir is indicted. Two senior government officials said Sudan would probably seek Chinese, Russian and African support at the United Nations to help block a warrant for Bashir.
The UN Security Council can pass a resolution suspending an ICC warrant or inquiry. Observers say once Bashir is named, this would do little to improve Sudan’s relations with the West.
