ICC says Sudan army chief vows cooperation in Darfur probe

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor said Sudan had promised its "full cooperation" in the war crimes probe of atrocities committed in the Darfur region under ousted president Omar al-Bashir.

Karim Khan spoke after meeting army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan --  who seized power last year in a coup -- and after visiting camps in Darfur, where the United Nations says 300,000 people were killed during the conflict that began in 2003.

"The words that I have just heard from the chair of the sovereign council are very positive," Khan, who has been in the north-east African nation since Saturday, told reporters. "The challenge now is delivering those in practice."

Bashir, 78, who has been in custody in Khartoum since his 2019 ouster, has been wanted by the ICC for more than a decade over charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

Two other former aides are also wanted by The Hague-based court to face war crimes charges.

Burhan, who was a senior general under Bashir, has promised his "full cooperation" and commitment to "justice for the people in Darfur", Khan added, as he wrapped up his trip.

Need for 'independent' probe

Khan emphasised the importance of "independent" and "credible" investigations.

War in Darfur erupted in 2003 when non-Arab rebels took up arms complaining of systematic discrimination by Bashir's Arab-dominated government.

Khartoum then responded by unleashing the notorious Janjaweed militia, recruited from among the region's mainly Arab nomadic peoples.

Human rights groups have long accused Bashir and his former aides of using a scorched earth policy, raping, killing, looting and burning villages.

On Tuesday, Khan expressed frustration over the lack of accountability for crimes committed in a video address to the UN Security Council.

He said that the authorities in Khartoum have taken a "backward step" on cooperating with the ICC in recent months.

According to rights groups, many of the Janjaweed's members were integrated into the feared paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, now de facto deputy leader of Sudan. Khan also met with Daglo.

In 2020, Sudan signed a peace deal with key rebel groups, including several based in Darfur, that was hoped to end the conflict in the far-flung regions. Several ex-rebel leaders have since taken top government positions.

In April, senior Janjaweed militia leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd al-Rahman, also known by the nom de guerre Ali Kushayb, faced the ICC in its first trial for war crimes in Darfur.