ICC delegation arrives in Sudan to discuss Omar al-Bashir's prosecution

An International Criminal Court (ICC) delegation has arrived in Sudan to held talks with the government and discuss the prosecution of former President Omar al-Bashir. According to BBC, the delegation will discuss Bashir's prosecution and will also talk about cooperation in the case with the Sudanese government. Bashir, who ruled Sudan from 1989 to 2019, is wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity. 

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What is Bashir accused of?

Under Bashir's watch, an armed conflict in the western region of Darfur broke out in 2003, which turned into a revolt against the government in no time. The United Nations estimates that over 3,00,000 people died in the conflict in the Darfur region and the International Criminal Court charged Bashir with war crimes and crimes against humanity. The war in Darfur is still ongoing and a peace agreement was signed between the current Sudanese government and several rebel factions in the region in August this year.    

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The ICC delegates want Bashir to stand trial in the Hague and the Sudanese government had reportedly agreed to it. However, under the peace deal signed with rebel factions in Darfur, the Sudanese government has agreed to set up a special court to try people for war crimes and that includes Bashir. Earlier this month, Sudan's transitional government's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok had said that he has talked to the ICC and has discussed options of trying Bashir in Sudan. If proven guilty, Bashir and other officials accused of war crimes will face the death penalty. 

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Why was Bashir overthrown?

Bashir had become the president of the then Africa's largest country after a military coup in 1989. However, he was ousted in a similar coup last year after facing mass protests over rising prices of bread and fuel in 2018. Bashir had won the 2015 election amid a boycott from the opposition, which sparked the political unrest in the country and subsequently led to the leader's downfall. In 2019, when Bashir ordered the killing of protesters, the Sudanese military stepped in and toppled the 76-year-old president on April 11. 

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