Uganda's Museveni & GoSS Kiir agree deferment of ICC's Bashir Darfur case would have to be tied to Sudan's performance in peace processes

"(Deferment) would have to be tied to the performance of the peace processes in southern Sudan, in Darfur and (in other parts of Sudan)," Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni told reporters.

When asked to comment on Museveni's statement, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir said: "I don't see any better option."

Reuters report 12 Mar 2009 17:18:12 GMT (KAMPALA) - excerpt:
S. Sudan, Uganda link peace to Bashir indictment

South Sudan's and Uganda's leaders said on Thursday any deferral of the arrest warrant for Sudan's leader should depend on whether Khartoum implements shaky peace deals. [...]

Some analysts fear the indictment could further undermine fragile peace deals in the country's north-south conflict, and further escalate violence in Darfur in the west.

On Tuesday, Sudan said it was looking at how to get the arrest warrant suspended or quashed.

"(Deferment) would have to be tied to the performance of the peace processes in southern Sudan, in Darfur and (in other parts of Sudan)," Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni told reporters.

When asked to comment on Museveni's statement, South Sudanese President Salva Kiir said: "I don't see any better option." [...]

South Sudan is now part of the national government, and Kiir is first vice president of it, as well as southern leader.

Kiir said he would not execute the arrest warrant by The Hague-based court. "It is not my responsibility to hand him over. He's my president and I'm the vice president," Kiir said.

"I'm not the police of the ICC."

Sudan is scheduled to hold national elections this year and a referendum in 2011 on southern secession as part of the 2005 deal. (Reporting by Jack Kimball; editing by Andrew Roche)