Sudan: International Court must prosecute war crimes

The US, China and Russia, in particular, should set aside their reservations about the Court in order to bring justice to the people of Sudan, said the organisation.

The report comes from a five-member Commission established by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to inquire into the human rights situation in Darfur.

Amnesty International Regional Programmes Senior Director Claudio Cordone said:

"The war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur are no less serious than genocide."

Amnesty International is calling on the UN Security Council not only to refer the situation in Sudan to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, but also to support a comprehensive, long-term strategy for bringing all those responsible for the crimes to justice.

Amnesty International is also calling on China and Russia to stop arming the killers and to allow the existing arms embargo on Darfur to be extended to include the Government of Sudan.

In September, an Amnesty International delegation to Sudan headed by Secretary General Irene Khan heard first-hand accounts of atrocities from displaced people in camps and villages in western Darfur and in Nyala in southern Darfur.

The organisation has long documented the pattern of gross human rights abuses - including war crimes and crimes against humanity - committed in the context of Sudan’s internal conflicts.

Amnesty International called for the establishment of a UN Commission of Inquiry and welcomes the Commission’s report, but is emphasizing that immediate action is now required on its findings.

Read the latest Amnesty report on Sudan

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