Lately Nigeria seem to revel in “shocking” the world and itself out of the comity of Nations. If after Nigeria’s “interference” in the Sierra Leone and Liberia with Charlse Taylor standing trial, the Government still welcomes Bashir into the country with a Guard of Honour at the Airport, it certainly leaves much to be desired. That picture of a man accused of war crimes with an international warrant of arrest for him inspecting a guard of honour in our Nigeria is sickening.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday explained why Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was not arrested in Nigeria. It said by the statute of the African Union (AU), he was supposed to enjoy immunity like other delegates. It also said al-Bashir was in the country under the auspices of the AU and the nation owes an obligation to respect the decision of the continental body. The ministry said the presence of al-Bashir is a matter between the AU and the international community. The Ministry made the clarifications in a statement in Abuja against the backdrop of controversy trailing the presence of al-Bashir in Nigeria for the AU Summit, It said Nigeria is standing by the 2009 Resolution of the AU that the UN Security Council should defer the proceedings initiated against President al- Bashir in accordance with Article 16 of the Rome Statute of the International Crime Commission (ICC).
The statement…
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