UNITED NATIONS, September 27, 2010 -- The omissions in US President Obama's speech at the UN's Sudan meeting on September 24 were noticed not only by Sudan, whose Vice President Taha praised the new US approach, but also by the wider Organization of the Islamic Conference.
Inner City Press asked OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu at his September 27 press conference about Paragraph 21 of the OIC's September 24 Communique, that
“21. The Meeting expressed its full solidarity with the Sudan under the leadership of H.E. President Omar Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir and renewed its unflinching support for the various endeavors to achieve genuine national reconciliation, lasting peace and stability within the context of a sovereign and united country. The Meeting reiterated the OIC principled position on the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) indictment against the President of the Sudan and warned of its implications on the ongoing Darfur peace process in Doha.”
In response, Ihsanoglu insisted that the OIC or at least he himself believes in accountability for the crimes in Darfur, but believe that the International Criminal Court through “certain of its statements” has set up the ICC “as a political party, a contender to the government.”
“Even President Obama,” Ihsanoglu continued, “did not mention the International Criminal Court” in which speech at the September 24 meeting on Sudan.
Inner City Press reported that day on Obama's failure to mention the name of Omar al Bashir, indicted by the ICC for genocide and war crimes. Now the OIC is making much of Obama's failure to mention the ICC, as supporting the OIC's statement of full solidarity with Bashir, and against the indictments.
What will Obama or his State Department say? Watch this site.
