JURIST - Paper Chase: Sudan dismisses 'biased' ICC report on Darfur involvement

[JURIST] Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Samani Al-Wasilla on Thursday dismissed as politically motivated the latest report [PDF text] from the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] condemning Sudan for failing to arrest crimes against humanity suspects wanted by the ICC and accusing the Sudanese government of continuing to commit crimes in Darfur [JURIST news archive]. ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo issued a scathing assessment of Sudan's cooperation with the ICC Wednesday, asking the UN Security Council to press Sudan to execute outstanding arrest warrants [JURIST report]. In a statement [text], the ICC also said:

Massive crimes continue to be committed in Darfur today. All information points not to isolated acts but to a pattern of attacks by Sudanese officials against civilians, in particular the 2.5 million displaced people.

Al-Wasilla said Thursday that Moreno-Ocampo's report was "based on false accusations" and was "politically motivated" [SUNA report]. Al-Wasilla also said that much of the information gathered by the ICC during its investigation into the situation in Darfur [ICC materials] has been provided by people who are "influenced by their status" as political asylum seekers outside of Sudan.

The ICC issued arrest warrants [JURIST report] in May for Ahmad Muhammad Harun [arrest warrant, PDF], former Sudanese interior minister and current humanitarian affairs minister, and former militia leader Ali Muhammad Al Abd-Al-Rahman [arrest warrant, PDF], also known as Ali Kushayb. The Sudanese government, not a signatory to the ICC's Rome Statute [PDF text], has so far refused to hand over the suspects to the ICC. AP has more.