Egypt Welcomes Accused War Criminal

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is in Egypt this week:

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir arrived in Cairo on Tuesday for an official visit during which he will meet with Marshal Hussein Tantawi, head of the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.

Al-Bashir will also meet with a number of senior Egyptian officials during his visit, the first to be made by an Arab leader since the ouster of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

“Al-Bashir’s visit to Cairo reveals a Sudanese supportive stance for the Egyptian people during such a historical situation,” said Sudanese Ambassador to Egypt Abdul Rahman Siral-Khatim.

Does Egypt really think they need the support of accused war criminal Bashir?

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Sudan's president on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

But the ICC in The Hague stopped short of accusing Omar al-Bashir of genocide. He denies the charges and has dismissed any ruling by the court as worthless.

...The UN estimates 300,000 people have died in Darfur's six-year conflict.
Millions more have been displaced.

...She [Court spokeswoman Laurence Blairon] said Mr Bashir was suspected of being criminally responsible for "intentionally directing attacks against an important part of the civilian population of Darfur, Sudan, murdering, exterminating, raping, torturing and forcibly transferring large numbers of civilians and pillaging their property".

Four months later, the court decided that there actually was enough evidence and did accuse Bashir of genocide as well.

Seeing as how the Arab League as a whole has welcomed Bashir with open arms, you can't really expect anything less from Egypt.

And yet.

Technorati Tag: Bashir and Egypt.