COSTA RICA: MFA PUBLICLY APPLAUDS ICC ARREST

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000167 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN AND IO/UNP JOSEPH FITZGERALD. E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: UNSC PREL PHUM CS SUBJECT: COSTA RICA: MFA PUBLICLY APPLAUDS ICC ARREST WARRANT FOR SUDANESE PRESIDENT REF: A. SECSTATE 19213 ¶B. SAN JOSE 148 ¶1. (U) Further to reftel demarche and official response, on March 5, the MFA issued a press release "categorically supporting" the March 4 ICC arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir for what the GOCR called "war crimes and crimes against humanity." The release went on to say that, for Costa Rica, the ICC's "exemplary measure feeds the hopes of the victims of Sudan, and of the international community in its aspiration for justice." The GOCR reiterated its support of the ICC, and urged Sudan to cooperate with the ICC and the UN to protect Sudan's population. ¶2. (U) The MFA noted Costa Rica's June 2008 negotiations to achieve a UNSC Presidential Statement that would "break the UNSC's silence" regarding crimes against humanity in Sudan. Quoting FonMin Stagno - who served on the ICC's Assembly of Member States from 2005-2008 - the MFA relase also stated that Article 16 was never meant to be used in a case that the UNSC itself remitted to the ICC. Therefore, the GOCR would not support such a measure. ¶3. (SBU) COMMENT: Given the GOCR's role in co-founding the ICC, and Stagno's on-going, personal interest in Darfur developments, it is no wonder that the MFA issued a statement to "brag" a little abut this first-ever ICC arrest warrant issued against a head of state. Although this statement generated no media coverage, it reiterates the Arias administration's interest in taking "principled" stances on UN issues important to Costa Rica. ¶4. (U) Complete text of the MFA press release is available at: www.rree.go.cr. CIANCHETTE