Sudan’s President Makes Trip Abroad

24 Mar 09 | NY Times

In a snub of the International Criminal Court, President Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan traveled on Monday to Eritrea, barely three weeks after the court issued a warrant for his arrest on war crimes charges for atrocities committed in Darfur.

It was Mr. Bashir’s first trip abroad since the court issued its warrant, and it seemed to come as something of a surprise to people in the region. The trip had not been announced in Sudan, and foreign news agencies said that even those close to the Sudanese government had not been apprised of Mr. Bashir’s plans.

Leaving the confines of Sudan could place Mr. Bashir at greater risk of being arrested. The criminal court charged him with war crimes and crimes against humanity for playing what it called an essential role in the murder, rape and displacement of vast numbers of civilians in Darfur.

More than 2.5 million Darfur residents have been chased from their homes and as many as 300,000 have died in a conflict pitting the Arab-dominated government against non-Arab rebels. >>>