Speaking today to reporters in Cape Town, South Africa, Deng Alor Kuol, Sudan’s foreign minister, called for the International Criminal Court’s case against Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir to be postponed for a year:
We are saying we are asking for one year for postponement because this will give us time to work for peace in Darfur which we have already started with one movement, in Darfur we have many movements, more than ten about fifteen…
It does not matter if there are fifteen rebel movements or fifty. The Sudanese government does not deserve any more time to “work for peace in Darfur.” Let’s not split hairs over the past. Instead, let’s reflect on the behavior of the government in the past week for an indication of its commitment to “working for peace:”
- On Tuesday, Sudanese government representatives signed a “confidence-building agreement” with Darfur’s most significant rebel group, purportedly paving the way for a new inclusive peace process for Darfur.
- And on Wednesday, the government launched a new aerial attack in South Darfur.
It’s hard to believe that Khartoum will change its ways next week, next month, or in the next year.