Sudan ambassador says war crime charges “crazy”

Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court are expected to seek the arrest of Sudan’s President, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur. This indictment is the last in a series of moves that have been taken by the international community that have the effect, it seems, of isolating Sudan from the rest of the world.

More than 200,000 people have died in a militia-driven ethnic conflict in the country’s Darfur region since 2003. The ICC says al-Bashir has sponsored the militias while Sudan says an indictment would violate the country’s sovereignty.

His Excellency Abdelmahmood Abdelhaleem, Sudanese ambassador to the United Nations, talks to "The Takeaway" about the charges.

Ambassador Abdelhaleem says, "… it is a politically motivated move by the prosecutor-general — crazy, very irresponsible act, because it will have negative fallout on the tense situation in the Sudan, and it will also impede the progress towards lasting peace in Darfur."

"The Takeaway" is PRI’s new national morning news program, delivering the news and analysis you need to catch up, start your day, and prepare for what’s ahead. The show is a co-production of WNYC and PRI, in editorial collaboration with the BBC, The New York Times Radio, and WGBH.

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