CAIRO 12 Mar 2010 Ministers of Organization of the Islamic Conference meet about Darfur aid

Ministers of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference meet in Egypt for an International Donors Conference for the Development and Reconstruction of Darfur. The International Criminal Court at The Hague appears to have backed away from its efforts to see Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir behind bars for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Sudanese province of Darfur, possibly as a result of the OIC's opposition to the ICC arrest warrant for Al-Bashir.

OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, who announced the event in Egypt's state media in February, said the conference will submit to the donors a number of vital projects in Darfur with the aim of completing the development process as a means of strengthening stability in the province.

Mostly non-Arab rebels began fighting the Sudanese government in early 2003. Khartoum responded with force, and the ensuing conflict claimed up to 300,000 lives and drove 2 million people from their homes, according to United Nations figures.

Ihsanoglu asserted that the ICC action against Al-Bashir negatively affected "the positive atmosphere in the Sudan and the preparations for elections to be held next April." Al-Bashir is a candidate in the Sudan's 2010 presidential election.

The Appeals Chamber of the ICC instructed the Pre-Trial Chamber in February to reassess whether to include genocide charges under a revised standard and amend the arrest warrant if necessary, the ICC said in a release. Feb/10

RELATED READING:

Cairo Press Review 14 Feb 2010
http://www2.sis.gov.eg/En/CPR/

ICC panel rejects Al-Bashir arrest warrant (UPI 3 Feb 2010)
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/International/2010/02/03/ICC-panel-rejects-Al-Bashir-arrest-warrant/UPI-89611265204995/