Nigerian Gov’t Must Arrest Al Bashir If:

Amnesty International has called on the Nigerian government to effect the immediate arrest of Sudanese President Omar al Bashir during an official visit to Nigeria scheduled to begin on Thursday, 29 October.

Kolawole Olaniyan, Amnesty International’s Africa Legal Adviser described Mr. Bashir as an “international fugitive from justice, charged with responsibility for crimes against humanity and war crimes against Africans. It would be shameful of Nigeria to offer him safe haven.”

President Umaru Yar’Adua has apparently given assurances that President Omar al Bashir will not be arrested if he comes to Nigeria.

Amnesty International claims they are aware that Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua has issued an invitation to Sudanese President Omar al Bashir to visit Nigeria, even though President al Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The invitation is for President Omar al Bashir to attend an African Union Peace and Security Council meeting in Abuja, scheduled to begin on Thursday, 29 October.

Amnesty International learned about the still-secret invitation from several reliable sources.

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki is expected to present a report on the situation in Darfur at the meeting.

But Amnesty International insist “the Nigerian government has an unconditional legal obligation to arrest President Omar al Bashir and hand him over to the ICC should he enter Nigerian territory. Any failure to do this is a failure to fulfil obligations under international law and may amount to obstruction of justice.”

An arrest warrant for President Omar al Bashir was issued by the ICC on 4 March 2009.

http://news.peacefmonline.com/foreign/200910/29769.php