The International Criminal Court's inquiry into alleged war crimes in Darfur was suspended on Friday by the Court's chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, who blamed the UN Security Council for a lack of action.
Stating that the Council's inaction would only "embolden perpetrators to continue their brutality”, Bensouda added: “I am left with no choice but to hibernate investigative activities in Darfur as I shift resources to other urgent cases."
The suspension has been hailed by the president of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir was a "victory" over the ICC.
The decision came about "because of the Sudanese people's refusal to be humiliated and to kneel down", Sudan's state news agency SUNA reported Bashir as saying on Saturday.
The ICC is one of the "tools aimed to humiliate and subjugate" Sudan, he reportedly added.
Bashir is wanted over alleged war crimes against insurgent groups, who complain of discrimination by the state.
The decision by the ICC to suspend the inquiry comes amid increasing resistance from African countries towards the prosecutions of fellow heads of state.
On Friday, the Ugandan president Yower Museveni said the ICC had become a "tool to target"Africa.
See more here, here and here.
Stating that the Council's inaction would only "embolden perpetrators to continue their brutality”, Bensouda added: “I am left with no choice but to hibernate investigative activities in Darfur as I shift resources to other urgent cases."
The suspension has been hailed by the president of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir was a "victory" over the ICC.
The decision came about "because of the Sudanese people's refusal to be humiliated and to kneel down", Sudan's state news agency SUNA reported Bashir as saying on Saturday.
The ICC is one of the "tools aimed to humiliate and subjugate" Sudan, he reportedly added.
Bashir is wanted over alleged war crimes against insurgent groups, who complain of discrimination by the state.
The decision by the ICC to suspend the inquiry comes amid increasing resistance from African countries towards the prosecutions of fellow heads of state.
On Friday, the Ugandan president Yower Museveni said the ICC had become a "tool to target"Africa.
See more here, here and here.