Posted on 07/10/2009 4:16:12 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
OSLO (AFP)--A U.S. special envoy on Sudan Thursday stressed the need for cooperation with the country's leadership, after a prosecutor said there is enough evidence for a further arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir for genocide.
"Right now President al-Beshir is the president of the country and we have to work with him to solve those issues that are facing the people (of Sudan) and (that) are facing the region," said U.S. envoy Scott Gration.
"But that does not mean that (Beshir) does not need to do what's right in terms of facing the International Criminal Court and those charges," Gration said.
International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said Tuesday he had enough evidence for a further arrest warrant against Beshir for genocide. Beshir already faces an ICC arrest warrant for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Gration said Beshir would face the court "when the situation is right."
"We in the United States believe that everybody needs to be accountable, and in due time, when the situation is right, the international community will hold (accountable) folks that may have been involved in crimes against humanity and genocide," he said.
Asked whether the announcement would complicate his dealings with Sudan, Gration said: "We will work through it."
Gration made the comments during a visit to Oslo, where he will meet Friday with senior government officials from the U.K. and Norway to coordinate the countries' positions towards Sudan.
The U.S., U.K. and Norway form a troika of nations working on matters involving Sudan, including the implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the war between north and south Sudan.
Gration met Thursday with Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere.
Gration will travel to Sudan July 14. He is not expected to meet the president.
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