Comments
Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, accompanied by a senior delegation, has arrived in Khartoum on Wednesday on a two-day official visit to hold talks on bilateral relations.
In his address before the opening session of the Sudanese-Rwandan talks at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday, al-Bashir called on the African leaders to withdraw from the ICC according to the African Union decision.
The ICC issued two arrest warrants against al-Bashir in 2009 and 2010 for alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed in Darfur. He is the first sitting head of state charged by the Hague-based court since its inception in 2002.
Sudan, which is not a state member of Rome Statute of the ICC, has been campaigning for an African withdrawal from the court.
The African Union constantly accuses the ICC of disproportionately targeting Africans. Several countries including Kenya, Sudan, Eritrea, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Libya have called for en mass withdrawal of African nations from the court.
on the other hand Foreign Affairs minister Louise Mushikiwabo said signifies “the stepping up of the bilateral relations” between the two countries. On the first day of his visit, President Kagame held a bilateral meeting with his host, President Omar al-Bashir, and attended a state luncheon and banquet held in his honour.
“We had a very productive bilateral discussion earlier headed by the two Heads of State, we had the opportunity to discuss our joint belief and actions in promoting the independence of Africa, including spearheading and supporting strongly the African Union reform,” Mushikiwabo, who is part of the President’s delegation told The New Times last evening.
In addition to bilateral arrangements, Rwanda and Sudan are both members of regional blocs and frameworks, such as the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Nile Basin Initiative.
