• by Wangari Maathai, Wole Soyinka and Desmond Tutu
• Tuesday, June 30, 2009
• Inter Press Service

Representatives of African States will meet in Addis Ababa (June 8-9) to "exchange views" on the International Criminal Court (ICC). Prompted by the war crimes indictment of Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir, the meeting will provide a platform for the Court’s dissenters in Africa, and aim to sew discord among ICC supporters, writes Wangari Maathai, Wole Soyinka and Desmond Tutu.

We are deeply concerned by the ongoing violence, displacement, and repression in Sudan ­and we support the role of the International Criminal Court in bringing justice and accountability for the peoples of Sudan.

We are deeply disheartened by the Sudanese government's response to the March 4, 2009 issuance of an arrest warrant for President Omar Al-Bashir. By expelling and restricting humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGO's) and relief workers in the desperate Darfur region, the Government of Sudan has further endangered the estimated 4.7 million people in the region who rely on food, medical and water aid. The expelled organizations are responsible for at least 50 percent of this aid.

//NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN FRENCH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES AND NIGERIA//

© Inter Press Service (2009) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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