Today (4 March) the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued a warrant for the arrest of the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, charging him with war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Sudanese province of Darfur. Günter Nooke, the Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office, issued the following statement today (4 March):

“As in the past, the International Criminal Court has the full support of the German Government and its partners in the European Union. It is the most important instrument we have for prosecuting grave human rights violations and does not make exceptions – not even for sitting Heads of State.

The Federal Government has repeatedly called for the Sudan to adhere to UN Security Council Resolution 1593 and to cooperate fully with the Court. The conflict in Darfur must be resolved peacefully. Since its outbreak, more than 300,000 people have been killed or have died of starvation and disease.”