At the initiative of the Netherlands and other member states, the European Union has called on the government of Chad to arrest Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir and surrender him to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. President Bashir is suspected of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

EU High Representative Catherine Ashton yesterday urged Chad to respect its obligations under international law. She stressed that these ‘most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole must not go unpunished’.

President Bashir arrived in Chad, a neighbouring country of Sudan, on 21 July for a three-day conference. His visit is taking place one week after the ICC issued a second arrest warrant for him, on a charge of genocide. An earlier ICC arrest warrant had been issued on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

As a State Party to the ICC, Chad is obliged under a UN Security Council resolution to immediately arrest President Bashir and surrender him to the ICC. The Netherlands supports the Court’s call for Chad to arrest the Sudanese president. If Chad fails to take action the Netherlands will consult other countries about follow-up measures.

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