May 7, 2010 - Sudan Tribune - Sudan seeks Lebanon support in UN Security Council

May 7, 201 (KHARTOUM) — A Sudanese Presidential adviser travelled recently to the Lebanese capital to ensure the support of the Arab League member to its positions in the United Nations.

Since January 2010, Lebanon is elected as non-permanent member of the Security Council. The Arab country will serve a two-year term.

Khartoum faces international pressures over its rejection to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC). Arab and African countries asked the 15 member council to suspend the jurisdiction of the war crimes court on Darfur but Britain, France and the US showed opposition.

Last April the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo asked judges to report Sudan to the U.N. Security Council for refusing to hand over a government minister and a militia leader accused of atrocities in Darfur. The court ordered the men arrested in 2007 on 51 charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Mustafa Osman Ismail paid a three day visit to Beirut where he met with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and the Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri to brief them on the position of the Sudanese government on Darfur and implementation of the 2005 peace agreement.

Mustafa told the official SUNA that Lebanon is now representing the Arab group in the Security Council and presides over the Council during this month of May 2010.

"We hope, as is natural, that Lebanon stands by the Arab and African decision which supports Sudan.

He also said that the Lebanese officials he met reassured him on their support to Sudanese position over all the issues raised in the Security Council.

"They are with the Arab and Africa decision, and with the interest of Sudan. Also they would support the Sudanese positions before the Security Council,” he said.

Lebanon has witnessed the opening of special tribunal in The Hague to try the suspected assassins of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Al-Hariri in 2005.

Al-Hariri’s son Saad who is now the Prime minister, at the time, commented the ICC indictment of the Sudanese President saying that justice will reach Bashir as part of a growing trend in the region.

The remarks drew a rebuke from the Sudanese embassy in Beirut who said that “linking Al-Hariri’s trial to efforts by the ICC to issue an arrest warrant for Bashir is illogical and defies the reality of things”.

“The special tribunal [for Rafiq Al-Hariri] was requested by the Lebanese government to help in investigation then prosecuting Al-Hariri’s assassins,” he adde.