South Africa’s High Court issued an interim order Sunday barring Sudanese President Omar Bashir, who is facing genocide charges, from leaving the country, local media reported.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Bashir was ordered to stay put until the court hears an application on whether the long-time Sudanese leader should be handed over to the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to the Eyewitness News website.
Bashir, who was reelected for a new term as Sudanese President in April, traveled to South Africa for an African Union summit despite calls by the ICC to arrest him upon arrival. Bashir came to power in 1989, following a military coup, before becoming the first sitting head of state to be indicted by the ICC in 2009.
The ICC has two outstanding arrest warrants against Bashir, who is accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed since 2003 in Sudan’s troubled region of Darfur. Courtesy: sputnik news.