JURIST - Paper Chase: ICC prosecutor urges international cooperation in arresting Darfur suspects

[JURIST] International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo [official profile] on Thursday urged international cooperation in executing arrest warrants for suspects accused in the Darfur conflict [ICC materials]. Presenting his report [text, PDF] to the UN Security Council [official website], Ocampo emphasized that all states parties to the Rome Statute have an obligation to cooperate with the ICC. Following his report, Ocampo spoke to reporters [video] and indicated that individuals sought by the court, including Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir [ICC materials; JURIST news archive], continue to commit war crimes in the region. Also Thursday, Ocampo said that the death of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi [JURIST report] may be a war crime.

The ICC currently has four cases in Darfur, Sudan. Al-Bashir faces seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity as well as three charges of genocide [JURIST reports] and remains at large. The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Ahmad Muhammad Harun Ahmad Harun and Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman Ali Kushayb, who also remain at large. Bahar Idriss Abu Garda appeared voluntarily before the ICC in 2009, and the ICC declined to confirm charges [JURIST report]. He is not currently in custody. Finally, a trial is currently pending [JURIST report] for Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain and Saleh Mohammed Jerbo Jamus