Human Rights Watch has called on Sudanese authorities to execute the 2009 International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Omar al-Bashir for crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Bashir stands accused of conducting a campaign of ethnic cleansing in the country’s Darfur region.
He was nearly arrested in 2015 while visiting South Africa. He faces five counts of crimes against humanity and two counts of war crimes in connection to Sudanese military actions in Darfur.
Jehanne Henry, associate Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said that the release of political prisoners following the coup announcement was a necessary start, but that Sudan’s leaders must do more to respect human rights.
“This significant development reinforces the authorities’ obligation to address egregious human rights abuses suffered by so many Sudanese over the last three decades.
READ ALSO: Delta Command Arrests Officer Who Beat Up Student for using iPhone
“Al-Bashir’s ouster is a testament to the tenacity of the protesters, who remained in the streets despite the government’s violent repression.
The release of detainees in Khartoum is a necessary start, but Sudan’s leaders need to ensure that all those wrongfully detained are released and that the rights of the Sudanese people to protest peacefully are fully respected.
“They should also hand al-Bashir and the others facing ICC international arrest warrants over to the court at once as victims of the gravest crimes in Darfur should not have to wait any longer for justice,” Henry Said.
Al-Bashir was ousted earlier on Thursday by the Sudanese Army after days of protests in Khartoum, the country’s capital.
Protesters had insisted that Bashir who led country for 30 years, from 1989, should step down.
CNN
