Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Arab League to Send Team to UN to Protest Beshir Warrant | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
Select Page

CAIRO (AFP) – The Arab League said on Wednesday it would send a delegation with the African Union to the United Nations to try to suspend the international arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir.

The two bodies will “send a high ranking joint Arab and African delegation to the UN Security Council to delay the proceedings of the International Criminal Court,” a statement from the pan-Arab body said.

The Arab League said it was “greatly disturbed” by the ICC decision to seek the arrest of Beshir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the six-year conflict in Darfur.

League chief Amr Mussa, reading a statement issued by the 22-member group after an emergency meeting, said it was “dismayed that the UN Security Council did not delay the court proceedings.”

“This is a grave development,” he said, adding that the Arab League supported Sudan’s sovereignty and immunity for heads of state.

Egypt has also called on the Security Council to hold an emergency meeting to delay the warrant.