Most people would agree that allowing a psychopath to handle a loaded gun is an extremely bad idea, but apparently not the government of Sudan.  Summoned by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for 51 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, the Sudanese government refuses to arrest and turn over their Minister of Humanitarian Affairs Ahmed Haroun and Janjaweed militia leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman.  Under resolution 1593, adopted by the United Nations’ Security Council in March of 2005, the ICC controls the Darfur legal proceedings and the Sudanese government is obligated to cooperate.  Some one might want to let the government in Khartoum in on that fact.

Despite the ICC issuing arrest warrants for both men over a year ago, in April of 2007, Sudan has failed to detain either of the men.  In fact, Haroun is still serving as the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs- a man accused of the gravest injustices, essentially allowing the murder of 300,000 of his own countrymen, is supposed to be in charge of protecting them.  Talk about tragic irony.

While the rest of the world scrambles to end the suffering of the people of Darfur, its own government is adopting a very lackluster attitude.  The European Union has threatened Sudan several times with various economic and diplomatic sanctions if they fail to abide by the rules of the ICC.  Already the EU has instituted an arms embargo and restricted members of the Sudanese government, but neither action has resulted in Sudan’s cooperation.  Frustrated UN and international officials continue to pressure Sudan to turn the two men over to the ICC, including its former protector China.  Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that “peace and justice go hand in hand.  Impunity for the serious crimes committed in Darfur cannot be accepted.”

The need for the immediate imprisonment of these two men is of crucial importance.  Haroun and Rahman must not be allowed to preserve their places of power in the Sudanese government or else the crisis in Darfur will never be resolved.  The unproven efficiency of the ICC also hangs in the balance. The world leaders must find a way to force Sudan to make the arrests or the reputation of the ICC will collapse before it is ever truly established.