Former Sudan president Omar al-Bashir.File picture: REUTERS
Khartoum - A delegation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is meeting with officials in Sudan to discuss the arrest warrants currently in place in regards to the Darfur conflict.
Chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and her team arrive in Sudan on Saturday and plan to discuss "ways of cooperation between the International Criminal Court and Sudan" concerning the people subject to the court's warrants during the trip that lasts through Wednesday.
The statement announcing the visit from the office of Prime Minister Abdullah Hamduk on Saturday did not name anyone specifically, but Sudan's former president, Omar al-Bashir, is being sought by the ICC for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide in Darfur.
Al-Bashir ruled over the country in north-eastern Africa with a heavy hand for three decades. He was overthrown by the military last year, but it's unclear so far whether the new transitional government will hand the former head of state over to the international court.
In 2003, a conflict broke out in the western Darfur region between the government of al-Bashir and sections of the population demanding greater political participation. Government forces and the allied Arab Janjaweed militia acted brutally against the local population and an estimated 300 000 people were killed in the crackdown.
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