The ICC and Omar Al Bashir

The International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for the arrest of current Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir, accusing the leader of war crimes and crimes against humanity for, in part, ordering troops and militias to terrorize the population of Darfur.

The arrest warrant represents the first time a standing president has been pursued for crimes against humanity. The warrant can create a precedent in international human rights law. What the body will achieve is unclear. There is little sense that Al Bashir will be turned over (or turn himself in). The Financial Times editorial writers anticipate renewed and punitive violence against the African populations in Sudan in the Darfur region. It could be that Al Bashir will benefit from politicians rallying to his aid against perceived Western imperialism.

One wonders: if there is a crackdown as predicted, to what extent does the ICC hold any blame? Or will the sufferings of those in Darfur be measured against the (assumed) deterrent that the ICC is attempting to construct?

And, linking to my previous post, does Al Bashir stand as a proxy for any number of politicians behind the scenes? Some Sudanese officials have also been the subjects of arrest warrants (although remain at learge), but the Financial Times editorial linked above seems to think that the concentration on Al Bashir overestimates his direct role. I mention this not to absolve him, but rather to draw a line toward the murky process of blaming.