MwanaFalsafa1
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- Feb 26, 2008
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Lusekelo Philemon
Tanzania will not arrest the Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir as required by the International Criminal Court (ICC) even if he visited the former country for different reasons, the House was told here yesterday.
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation deputy minister Ambassador Seif Ali Iddi made the stand when responding to a supplementary question by Halima Mdee (Special Seats, Chadema).
Mdee had wanted to know the government position on whether it can arrest the Sudanese President if he happened to land on Tanzanias soil.
Tanzania is a member of ICC, the organisation which has issued the arrest warrant for Al Bashir for what has been described as atrocities he made in Sudans Darfurs region.
The minister said that the recent African Union (AU) meeting in Libya resolved the issue and recommended to the UN that the arrest of Al Bushir should be suspended until the conflict in Darfur region was resolved.
In line with what was agreed in the AU meeting, Tanzania will not arrest Al Bashir once he arrives in the country for the visit, he said.
Ambassador Iddi said that the arrest of Al Bashir wouldnt end the long-standing conflict in the Sudanese western province, hence there was a need for the UN to suspend the warrant.
Responding to another supplementary question by John Malecela (Mtera, CCM), who had wanted to know government explanation on whether it was possible to take to ICC mercenaries who had committed crimes against humanity in Africa in the past, the minister said:
It is possible only if the ICC sees the necessity to take them to court.
He said according to the Rome convention, mercenaries should be taken before the International Criminal Court.
In his response to the basic question by Parmukh Singh Hoogan (Kikwajuni, CCM), who had wanted to know the reason behind the issuing of Sudanese President arrest warrant, Ambassador Iddi said that Al Bashir was accused of allegedly spearheading the atrocities in Darfur region which was contrary to Rome Convention.
He said that the ICC would want to see Al Bashir facing legal charges against the vicious killings of innocent civilians in his own country.
THE GUARDIAN
Tanzania will not arrest the Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir as required by the International Criminal Court (ICC) even if he visited the former country for different reasons, the House was told here yesterday.
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation deputy minister Ambassador Seif Ali Iddi made the stand when responding to a supplementary question by Halima Mdee (Special Seats, Chadema).
Mdee had wanted to know the government position on whether it can arrest the Sudanese President if he happened to land on Tanzanias soil.
Tanzania is a member of ICC, the organisation which has issued the arrest warrant for Al Bashir for what has been described as atrocities he made in Sudans Darfurs region.
The minister said that the recent African Union (AU) meeting in Libya resolved the issue and recommended to the UN that the arrest of Al Bushir should be suspended until the conflict in Darfur region was resolved.
In line with what was agreed in the AU meeting, Tanzania will not arrest Al Bashir once he arrives in the country for the visit, he said.
Ambassador Iddi said that the arrest of Al Bashir wouldnt end the long-standing conflict in the Sudanese western province, hence there was a need for the UN to suspend the warrant.
Responding to another supplementary question by John Malecela (Mtera, CCM), who had wanted to know government explanation on whether it was possible to take to ICC mercenaries who had committed crimes against humanity in Africa in the past, the minister said:
It is possible only if the ICC sees the necessity to take them to court.
He said according to the Rome convention, mercenaries should be taken before the International Criminal Court.
In his response to the basic question by Parmukh Singh Hoogan (Kikwajuni, CCM), who had wanted to know the reason behind the issuing of Sudanese President arrest warrant, Ambassador Iddi said that Al Bashir was accused of allegedly spearheading the atrocities in Darfur region which was contrary to Rome Convention.
He said that the ICC would want to see Al Bashir facing legal charges against the vicious killings of innocent civilians in his own country.
THE GUARDIAN