Activists Ask Govt to Arrest Visiting Sudan President Bashir

Six civil society organizations have asked the Ugandan government to arrest Sudan President Omar El – Bashir who arrived in Uganda on Monday for a two–day visit.

Addressing journalists at the Human Rights Network of Uganda (HURINET) headquarters in Ntinda, the organisations network’s Executive Director Mohammed Ndifuna said the Uganda government has an obligation to arrest Bashir who is wanted by rhe International Criminal Court (ICC).

“Inviting an international criminal suspect to Uganda not only undermines the fight against impunity which Uganda has for long championed but also betrays the concerns and interests of the victim of the most heinous crimes,” Ndifuna said.

The civil society organisations said that Uganda being a signatory to the Rome Statute, it has a duty to comply with what the ICC says.

Ndifuna equally blamed government for failure to arrest the Sudan President when he attended President Museveni’s inauguration last year.

“Uganda has an obligation under the Constitutive Act of the African Union to fight impunity on top of arresting and surrender persons who may have committed serious crimes.”

They say that Uganda should this time work towards enforcing the two arrest warrants by ICC against the Sudan president who is here on a visit.