14th July, 2013
Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir travelled on Sunday to a health summit in Nigeria, official media said, after Human Rights Watch urged authorities in Abuja to arrest him for war crimes charges.
Bashir “left today for the Nigerian capital Abuja to participate in the African Union summit about HIV, TB and malaria to be held over two days,” the state SUNA news agency said.
Al-Bashir landed in Nigeria’s capital at 5:00 pm (1600 GMT).
He was received by Nigeria’s Minister for Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade.
“Nigeria has the shameful distinction of being the first West African country to welcome (the) ICC fugitive Sudanese president,” said Elise Keppler, of the International Justice Program at Human Rights Watch.
The government “has completely breached its obligations under international law,” Chino Obiagwu, chair of the Nigeria Coalition for the ICC, told AFP.
Bashir has previously visited ICC member states, including Chad, Djibouti and Kenya, but countries like South Africa and Botswana have ensured he stay away.
Some African Union members and officials have criticised the Bashir indictments, and the body has passed a resolution calling on members not to cooperate with the warrants.
In a statement, Human Rights Watch said the AU resolution to ignore the warrants has “no bearing on Nigeria’s obligations as an ICC member.”
Hosting Bashir, is an “affront to victims” of the Darfur conflict, Keppler said. “He belongs in custody,” she added.
Nigerian officials have been unavailable to comment on the visit.
Nigeria is a member of The Hague-based International Criminal Court, which in 2009 and 2010 issued two warrants against Bashir for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Sudan’s Darfur region.