Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir flies home South Africa despite ban, International Criminal Court arrest warrant
Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir has flown home from South Africa despite a court banning him from leaving as it decided whether to order his arrest over alleged war crimes.
Mr Bashir, 71, who is wanted over alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in the Darfur conflict, mostly travels to countries that have not joined the International Criminal Court (ICC).
South Africa is a signatory of the ICC's statutes and Mr Bashir was at a summit of African leaders in the country over the weekend.
The event was overshadowed by the calls for him to be detained on a long-standing ICC arrest warrant.
Judge Hans Fabricius on Sunday ordered authorities stop Mr Bashir from leaving the country and said the court would reconvene on Monday morning.
The Pretoria High Court said in a statement it was "compelling respondents to prevent president Omar al-Bashir from the leaving the country until an order is made in this court".
However, despite the court order Mr Bashir left South Africa and later arrived in Khartoum dressed in his traditional white robes.
He was seen waving his trademark cane in the air as he stepped off the plane and shouted: "God is greatest".
Walking down a red carpet leading from the aircraft, he was greeted by his ministers on the tarmac as well as a crowd of journalists and photographers.
After his arrival, foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour gave a brief news conference, brushing aside Mr Bashir's close call with international justice at the summit.
"What was being circulated was propaganda, and his participation confirms the president is one of Africa's leaders," Mr Ghandour said.
Mr Bashir will continue to attend international summits "as normal", he added.
Mr Ghandour also denied there was anything unusual about Mr Bashir's departure from the Waterkloof military air base outside Pretoria instead of from a normal airport.
"When we arrived, we landed at Johannesburg airport but all the African leaders' planes left from a private airport," he said.
After the conference, Mr Bashir drove around outside the airport in an open-topped car, waving his cane amid a crowd of around 1,000 supporters.
The crowds beat drums, sang traditional songs and waved Sudanese flags, chanting: "With our blood and our souls, we sacrifice for you Bashir!".
After about 10 minutes Mr Bashir was driven away.
International community concerned
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the ICC's arrest warrant was a matter he took "extremely seriously".
"The authority of the ICC must be respected and its decision implemented," he said.
South Africa is a signatory of the ICC, which has often been criticised for only targeting African leaders.
The European Union issued a statement saying it "expects South Africa ... [to act] in executing the arrest warrant against any ICC indictee present in the country".
The United States, which is not a participant in the ICC, said it "strongly supported international efforts to hold accountable those responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes".
"We call on the government of South Africa to support the international community's efforts to provide justice for the victims of these heinous crimes," it said.
But South Africa's government challenged the court's decision because it promised immunity to Mr Bashir and all other delegates attending the summit.
"We will meticulously argue for the application to be dismissed," Mthunzi Mhaga, spokesman for the justice ministry, told local media.
Sudanese officials said the court order had "no value" because Mr Bashir was invited by the South African government.
The ICC called on South Africa to "spare no effort in ensuring the execution of the arrest warrants" against Mr Bashir, who seized power in Sudan in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989.
The indictments relate to the western Sudanese region of Darfur, which erupted into conflict in 2003 when black insurgents launched a campaign against Mr Bashir's Arab-dominated government, complaining of marginalisation.
The Sudanese government unleashed a bloody counter-insurgency using the armed forces and allied militia.
The UN said 300,000 people were killed in the conflict and another 2.5 million forced to flee their homes.
Sudan, however, disputes the figures, estimating the death toll at fewer than 10,000.
ABC/Wires
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