South Africa bars al-Bashir exit

A South African judge yesterday ordered authorities to prevent Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is in South Africa for an African Union summit, from leaving the country because of an international order for his arrest, human rights activists said.

Al-Bashir appeared for a photo with other African leaders at the summit in Johannesburg on Sunday, wearing a blue three-piece suit, a tie and a smile as cameras flashed.

Earlier yesterday, a South African judge ordered authorities to prevent al-Bashir from leaving South Africa because he is wanted by the International Criminal Court.

The ANC, South Africa’s ruling party, said the South African government granted immunity “for all (summit) participants as part of the international norms for countries hosting such events.”

“It is on this basis, among others, that the ANC calls upon government to challenge the order now being brought to compel the South African government to detain President al-Bashir,” the ANC said, adding that African and Eastern European countries “unjustifiably bear the brunt of the decisions of the ICC.