African leaders have agreed to establish a new court to bring justice to the Sudanese region of Darfur, BBC online reports Friday.
The court would consist of Sudanese and foreign judges appointed by the African Union in consultation with the Khartoum govern-ment. US-based Human Rights Watch told the BBC the new court should not replace the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ICC is seeking to prosecute Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir for committing war crimes in Darfur, which he denies. A rebel leader is currently on trial in The Hague and the court has also issued arrest warrants for a Sudanese minister and pro-government militia leader.
Violence flared in Darfur in 2003 when black African rebel groups took up arms against the government in Khartoum, complaining of discrimination and neglect. Pro-government Arab militias then started a campaign of violence, targeting the black African population.
The UN says some 300.000 people have been killed and 2,7 million are made homeless in Darfur’s six-year conflict.
