Jordan welcomes ICC decision on Sudan’s Bashir’s visit

Jordan yesterday welcomed the decision of the appeals chamber of the International Criminal Court not to refer the kingdom to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) after it failed to arrest then Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir when he visited Amman in 2017.

Judge Chile Eboe-Osuji said: “The appeals chamber confirms … Jordan had failed to comply with its obligations under the statute by failing to execute the court’s request for the arrest of Mr Al-Bashir and his surrender to the court, while he was in Amman on 29 March 2017.”

However, Eboe-Osuji explained that Jordan’s action was not grounds for referral because Amman had tried to consult the court about the matter ahead of time.

Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs, Sufian Al-Qudah, said the decision came after Jordan appealed the referral regarding Al-Bashir’s visit to Amman in March 2017, to attend the Arab League summit.

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Al-Qudah explained that the decision not to refer Jordan was “in recognition of Jordan’s historical role in supporting the ICC and commitment to international law”, adding that “Jordan acted in good faith”.

Since 2009, the ICC has been calling for Al-Bashir’s arrest on charges of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region and genocide in 2010.

Al-Bashir was recently ousted by the military following four months of popular protests across  the country.