MGSUO1: IGAD "DISSAPOINTED" WITH ICC INDICTMENT

UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 000169 DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E AND AF/SPG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM CASC AEMR ASEC KAWC KPAO KJUS AMGT KFLO MARR PINR, SU, DJ SUBJECT: MGSUO1: IGAD "DISSAPOINTED" WITH ICC INDICTMENT ¶1. Post received the following press statement from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Executive Secretariat March 10. ¶2. BEGIN TEXT OF IGAD PRESS STATEMENT: PRESS STATEMENT BY THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF IGAD ON THE INDICTMENT OF THE PRESIDENT OF SUDAN The Executive Secretary of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD),Engineer Mahboub M. Maalim expressed his deep concern and disappointment with the action taken by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in indicting the President of Sudan H.E. Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, despite the repeated appeals by the International community and in particular the African Union not to pursue the case in the interest of peace, security and stability of Sudan. The action has no doubt put in danger the fragile peace effort underway between the Government of Sudan and the opposition groups in Darfur. Moreover, it will no doubt further exacerbate the humanitarian situation in Darfur. Engineer Mahboub recalled the position taken by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of IGAD Member States at their meetings in New York on September 24th, 2008, and in Addis Ababa on 27th January 2009 in which they inter alia called upon the United Nations Security Council to defer the process initiated by the ICC. Engineer Mahboub stated that in view of the current political and security developments in Sudan and its consequences to the IGAD region at large, the Security Council is called upon once again to assume its responsibility and suspend the action initiated by the ICC against the President of Sudan. 10 MARCH 2009 END TEXT OF IGAD PRESS STATEMENT. ¶3. Bilaterally, the GODJ had previously condemned the ICC indictment in a March 6 French-language MFA communique which "rejected" the "unjust and unjustified" ICC decision and called it a "incontestable threat" to the peace process in Darfur. President Guelleh echoed this theme in a speech given during 30th anniversary celebrations for his ruling RPP party, saying that "we cannot accept a decision like this which attacks the sovereignty of the Republic of Sudan." ¶4. Post will forward original texts of both statements to AF/SPG. SWAN To view the entire SMART message, go to URL http://repository.state.sgov.gov/_layouts/OSS SearchResults.aspx?k=messageid:3e87eb21-6801- 4de9-ae90-4d71553fb797