Bashir arrives home after AU summit in South Africa
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has arrived home after taking part in the 25th African Union Summit in the South African city of Johannesburg amid a court case trying to compel South African authorities to arrest him over alleged war crimes and genocide.
The president arrived in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum on Monday, AFP reported
"President Bashir's plane took off from Johannesburg " Sudan’s State Minister for Information Yasir Yousef had said earlier in the day, adding, "Bashir will address the crowds that will gather to meet him."
Sudan's official news agency SUNA reported that the news conference will be held at the airport upon Bashir’s arrival, and will also be attended by Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Ibrahim Ghandour.
An interim order was made by the Pretoria High Court on Sunday, barring Bashir from leaving South Africa. The temporary ban was issued after the International Criminal Court (ICC) called for the arrest of the 71-year-old Sudanese strongman.
Earlier on Monday, Sudanese Information Minister Ahmed Bilal Osman said Bashir would return to Sudan regardless of whether the high court ordered his arrest.
"The [South African] judiciary...does not have policemen... No one is going to arrest him."
There are reports that the Sudanese president's plane had been moved to the Waterkloof air force base on the outskirts of Pretoria late on Sunday night, meaning Bashir could fly from the base unobstructed as the South African military force was not a party to the court case.
The Hague-based ICC issued an arrest warrant on July 12, 2010 for Bashir over allegations of genocide committed in the Darfur conflict. An earlier arrest warrant for the Sudanese leader was issued in March 2009 by the ICC for charges including war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Bashir has strongly denied the allegations against him, dismissing the claims as a Western conspiracy to seize oil, gas and other natural resources from Sudan.
The armed conflict in the Darfur region of Sudan has killed as many as 300,000 people and displaced 2 million, according to the United Nations.
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