Sadiq Al-Mahdi calls for extraditing Bashir to ICC

The head of Sudan’s National Umma Party, Sadiq Al-Mahdi, called for finding a mechanism to extradite ousted president, Omar Al-Bashir, to the International Criminal Court (ICC), and held official authorities responsible for the massacre during the massive crackdown against protestors at the General Command’s sit-in. He pointed out that the timing of the fall of the former regime was surprising.

Al-Mahdi stated in an interview with The Independent Arabia, that Sudan’s relations with the international community should be normalised, and that this “requires not delaying in joining the criminal court. It is known that the Rome system is a complementary judicial system. If you have an impartial judiciary that can do the trial, the ICC is willing to accept that,” explained Al-Mahdi.

He revealed that there are talks surrounding the fact that the Sudanese criminal law does not allow the extradition of a citizen to the ICC, and that this law is unjust, as it was created by the former regime to protect itself.

Al-Mahdi also stressed the need for finding a mechanism to extradite Al-Bashir to the ICC, stating that this court is indeed specialised in the trial of those accused of committing aggressive war crimes and genocides, as well as crimes against humanity.

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