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War Criminal Heads to Beijing

6-17-2011

By Josh Hafenbrack
Crimes Against Humanities Program

News that China will host Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir – who faces an international warrant for genocide and other crimes – betrays China’s contradictory stance on Sudan.

China cannot responsibly claim to be a force for peace in Sudan, while propping up Sudanese violence against civilians by providing political credibility to its president and arms to government forces.

Bashir will visit China from June 27-30. In news accounts, China’s foreign ministry spokesman said Chinese President Hu Jintao and Bashir would discuss how to “advance and consolidate our traditional friendship” and exchange views on the North-South peace process and Darfur.

While China provides Bashir a worldwide platform, the United Nations reports an alarming rise in armed conflict in South Kordofan, where civilians are “trapped in the violence” and 60,000 people have been displaced. Armed conflict in Abyei, another border region, also poses danger to civilians. The violence continues to increase ahead of South Sudan’s secession from the North, expected July 9.

Human Rights First has urged U.S. policymakers to pay increased attention to third-party enablers of mass atrocities. A prime example is China’s role in supporting the Sudanese government in the conflict in Darfur, where 300,000 people have died since 2003.  The most recent overture to Bashir, at a time when he is isolated from the rest of the international community, only emphasizes China’s traditional and irresponsible role as an enabler and will undermine any work the Chinese envoy to Sudan, Liu Guijin, is doing to support negotiations between the North and South.

In July 2008, the International Criminal Court sought an arrest warrant against Bashir for crimes against humanity for actions in Darfur. The following year, the ICC issued the warrant, marking the first time the ICC issued a warrant for a sitting president since its inception in 2002. A second warrant for genocide was issued later, in July 2010. China is not a signatory to the ICC, but China has unique leverage over Sudan, as the North African country’s largest arms supplier and purchaser of oil.

China has a choice: The country can still take the responsible course and rescind its invitation to Bashir. For example, South African President Jacob Zuma last year barred Bashir from entering the country during the World Cup soccer tournament, citing the ICC arrest warrant.  China would do better to follow South Africa’s example.


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Posted in Blog | 3 Comments »

  • Aaron

    http://allafrica.com/stories/201106171088.html

    US is asking China to negotiate with Bashir to force him to abide by the peace accord.

    If China is an enabler for a mere “invitation” to visit, then US is an enabler for making an AGENDA for China to actually TALK to Bashir.

  • http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/2011/06/17/war-criminal-heads-to-beijing/ Isaac

    The Obama administration though on the surface is in support of the international warrant to arrest Sudan’s dictator Omar el Bashir for genocide and other crimes, for the United States to ask China to negotiate with El Bashir is ironic: a clear sign of betrayal of the people of Abyei, the Dinka of South Sudan who are facing genocide in the hands of El Bashir. It was the Bill Jefferson Clinton administration that watched Ruanda’s genocide take place in oblivion. In a similar thread, it is the Barack Obama’s administration leading the world to look the other way while the people of soon-to-be-nation in Abyei face extinction. Where is the United States leadership in the play made by former president Bill Clinton to prevent genocide (around the globe) from taking place again? Is the Obama administration exempt from this the U.S. policy of preventing/stopping genocide from taking place?

  • reiner

    Kissinger was in China many times and never heard you call him a war criminal visiting China while he was sentence by the same court.