Sudan – 4 March 2016

Seven years after arrest warrant, Sudan’s leader more free than ever

Seven years ago, a group of Hollywood activists celebrated their greatest triumph when an international court issued an order to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes in Darfur.

The arrest warrant on March 4, 2009, was hailed as a huge victory over the impunity of world leaders: the first time a sitting head of state had been charged with crimes against humanity. It was the climax of a long campaign by film star George Clooney and other Hollywood celebrities to turn Darfur into a global cause.

The Globe and Mail

Sudan Urged to Let Humanitarian Workers Move Freely in Darfur

The U.N. and African Union chiefs strongly urged Sudan on Thursday to grant freedom of movement to peacekeepers and aid workers in Darfur, where tens of thousands of civilians are homeless because of fighting.

“There is no military solution to the conflict in Darfur, and [we] call on all parties to engage in earnest in negotiations for a cessation of hostilities leading to a peaceful settlement of the conflict,” Ban Ki-moon and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said in a joint statement.

Voice of America