- Title: NETHELANDS: Abu Garda says he is innocent of Darfur crimes
- Date: 19th May 2009
- Summary: THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS (MAY 18, 2009) (REUTERS) ABU GARDA, URF CHAIRMAN, ARRIVING AT THE PRESS TENT JOURNALIST LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) BAHR IDRISS ABU GARDA, UNITED RESISTANCE FRONT (URF) CHAIRMAN, SAYING: "I would like to confirm that, absolutely, I am not guilty for all charges, but it is very important for any honest leader to come and to face the justic
- Embargoed: 3rd June 2009 13:00
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- Reuters ID: LVAC4QBW6KA7LYDJD63IVQ0IVRW1
- Story Text: Intro+++ SCRIPT AND SHOWS TO FOLLOW ++++
A Sudan Darfur rebel leader appears before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, charged with war crimes over the killing of 12 African Union peacekeepers in 2007 but denies involvement in the attack.
Sudan Darfur rebel leader appeared before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague on Monday (May 18), charged with war crimes over the killing of 12 African Union peacekeepers in 2007.
Bahr Idriss Abu Garda, who denies involvement in the attack, is the first rebel to stand before the ICC and at his first appearance at the court after voluntarily agreeing to attend, he thanked the court for making arrangements for his appearance.
Under questioning of Judge Cuno Tarfusser, Abu Garda also said he was a commander of a resistance movement. "I am a political commander by profession," he added.
Abu Garda, 46, chairman of the insurgent United Resistance Front (URF), is accused along with two other rebels of orchestrating what AU officials called the bloodiest assault on peacekeepers since the Darfur conflict in western Sudan began in 2003.
"I am looking forward to clearing my name from this case. I am absolutely not guilty of all charges," he later said at a press conference outside the court after the hearing ended.
The AU peacekeepers, now a joint AU-UN force, have been unable to end the fighting that United Nations officials say has resulted in up to 300,000 deaths and the displacement of 2.7 million people. Khartoum says 9,000 people have been killed.
The conflict arose after rebels took up arms against the government and in March Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir was indicted by the ICC for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Bashir has denied all charges.
Prior to the hearing, Sudan said on Sunday (May 17) the prosecution of Abu Garda had not changed its opinion of the ICC, which it has dismissed as part of a Western plot against Khartoum.
"We are sticking to our position that no Sudanese person should be handed over to the court, even a Darfur rebel," said Ali Youssef Ahmed from Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
But Abu Garda directly appealed to all Sudanese accused of crimes in Darfur, including president Bashir, to face justice.
"We are struggling in Darfur because there is no justice in Sudan," he said. "Our message to the government of Sudan or anybody is that facing justice and the legal process is very important and the honest solution for them is to do that."
Abu Garda also called on the international community to pressure the Sudanese government to allow humanitarian aid back into Darfur.
Charged with three war crimes over the Haskanita attack, Abu Garda had earlier confirmed to the court he had been informed of the charges against him, but was not asked to enter a plea.
Abu Garda, who flew in to the Netherlands on Sunday on a commercial flight, is free to leave the country again after Monday's hearing.
Judge Tarfusser said the court will hold a hearing on Oct. 12 to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to place Abu Garda on trial.
Abu Garda's defence lawyer Karim Khan said it is too early to confirm whether the suspect will attend the confirmation of charges hearing in October.
The rebel leader is not obligated to attend the October hearing as it can be held in his absence.
But defence lawyer Khan told Reuters Abu Garda would attend the trial if it proceeds.
In November 2008, Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo requested arrest warrants for three Darfur rebels including Abu Garda, but the court issued a summons for Abu Garda instead as he had shown a willingness to attend the court.
Moreno-Ocampo alleges the rebels orchestrated the attack at the Haskanita AU camp in September 2007, killing 12 peacekeepers. The identity of the other two accused rebel leaders has not yet been made public. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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