The Executive Secretary of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Engineer Mahboub M. Maalim expressed his deep concern and disappointment with the action taken by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in indicting the President of Sudan H.E. Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, despite the repeated appeals by the International community and in particular the African Union not to pursue the case in the interest of peace security and stability of Sudan. The action has no doubt put in danger the fragile peace effort underway between the Government of Sudan and the opposition groups in Darfur. Moreover, it will no doubt further exacerbate the humanitarian situation in Darfur.
Engineer Mahboub recalled the position taken by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of IGAD Member States at their meetings in New York on September 24th, 2008, and in Addis Ababa on 27th January 2009 in which they inter alia called upon the United Nations Security Council to defer the process initiated by the ICC.
Engineer Mahboub stated that in view of the current political and security developments in Sudan and its consequences to the IGAD region at large, the Security Council is called upon once again to assume its responsibility and suspend the action initiated by the ICC against the President of Sudan.
10 March 2009
