US sanctions ICC for targeting US and allies including Israel. UK and EU should expel US from UN and NATO

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: Following the inauguration of POTUS Donald Trump on Jan 20, he ordered the US to withdraw its membership of many organisations that require members to adhere to international law, humanitarian and human rights law and help provide assistance to the most vulnerable people in need. The decline of the US, its weak moral compass, hatred of foreigners and cruelty towards fellow man means that the US cannot be trusted. The UK and EU should expel US from the UN and NATO.

____________________________

Three related reports:

From BBC News online

By Bernd Debusmann Jr

BBC News, White House

Dated Thursday, 6 February 2025, 22:21 GMT - full copy:

Trump sanctions International Criminal Court, calls it 'illegitimate'

IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES

Image caption, Trump previously sanctioned ICC officials during his first term in office in 2020.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order sanctioning the International Criminal Court, accusing it of "illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel".

The measure places financial and visa restrictions on individuals and their families who assist in ICC investigations of American citizens or allies.

In January, the US House of Representatives voted to sanction the ICC after it issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes allegations in Gaza, which Israel denies. The ICC also issued a warrant for a Hamas commander.

At the time, the ICC said it "regrets any attempts to undermine the court's independence, integrity and impartiality".

The US is not a member of the ICC and has repeatedly rejected any jurisdiction by the body over American officials or citizens.

The order says that the ICC's recent actions "set a dangerous precedent" that endanger Americans by exposing them to "harassment, abuse and possible arrest".

"This malign conduct in turn threatens to infringe upon the sovereignty of the United States and undermines the critical national security and foreign policy work of the United States government and our allies, including Israel," the order says.

The White House accuses the Hague-based ICC of creating a "shameful moral equivalency" between Hamas and Israel by issuing the warrants for the Israeli leaders and a Hamas commander at the same time, according to a fact sheet circulated by the White House earlier.

The White House believes the ICC is placing constraints on Israel's right to self-defence, while accusing the body of ignoring Iran and anti-Israel groups.

Trump has repeatedly criticised the ICC, and took several steps to sanction the body during his first term in office.

At the time, he also imposed sanctions on ICC officials who were investigating whether US forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan.

The order allowed the US to block the assets of ICC employees and stop them from entering the US.

In response, the ICC said that the sanctions were an "unacceptable attempt to interfere with the rule of law".

Founded in 2002 - in the wake of the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the Rwandan genocide - the ICC was formed to investigate alleged atrocities.

The court can only deal with crimes committed after July 2002, when the Rome Statute - which formed the ICC - came into effect.

Over 120 countries have ratified the statute, while another 34 have signed and may ratify in the future.

Neither the US nor Israel is party to the Rome Statute. The order states that "both nations are thriving democracies with militaries that strictly adhere to the laws of war".

The ICC is a court of last resort and it is meant to intervene only when national authorities cannot or will not prosecute.

Media caption, 

Watch [Video 00:14]: Netanyahu gifts Trump a golden pager during US visit 

Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, also criticised the ICC's warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, calling the move "outrageous" and saying there was no equivalence between Israel and Hamas.

Trump's signing of the executive order comes as Netanyahu visits Washington.

In a joint press conference with the Israeli prime minister this week, Trump said the US could "take over" Gaza, which he said could become the "Riviera of the Middle East".

He again made the claim on his Truth Social social media platform.

"The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting," Trump said on Thursday.

He repeated his belief that the idea would mean resettling Palestinians, and that no American soldiers would be deployed.

His post did not make clear whether the two million residents of the Palestinian territory would be invited to return, leaving officials scrambling to explain.

On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that any displacement would be temporary, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Gazans would leave for an "interim" period while reconstruction took place.

Arab leaders, human rights organisations and the UN have condemned the idea.

International Criminal Court: What is the ICC and what does it do?

View original: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2p19l24g2o

- - -

From Times Radio - Video report
Dated Thursday, 6 February 2025 

Trump's plan for Gaza 'unviable' and cannot be implemented 

"There not a chance that this is something that would be implemented soon." Trump's plan for Gaza is unfounded and simply part of 'flooding the zone' with ideas, says President of the Middle East Policy Council Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley.

 

- - -

Trump 🇺🇸 gifts to Netanyahu 🇮🇱 a ‘key to the Whitehouse’

•Over 61,709 Palestinians murdered in Gaza 🇵🇸
•Over 17,000 children murdered
•Over 111,588 injured
•Over 6,000 kidnapped & tortured

An ICC arrest warrant for crimes against humanity

Shameful.pic.twitter.com/wsD3IwwL33

— Howard Beckett (@BeckettUnite) February 6, 2025

End

Khartoum orphanage - 50 children including 24 babies died as fighting prevented staff reaching them

Hat tip with thanks to William Carter tweet and Evelyn Tremble @DrumChronicles https://twitter.com/DrumChronicles: #Sudan fighting - Khartoum largest orphanage - 50 children including 24 babies have died some of starvation as fighting between RSF militia and military prevented staff and humanitarian aid reaching the facility https://reut.rs/3WCVFoe

Even amid the overwhelmingly horrific accounts from across the country, this is one of the most jarring reports so far

I have such great sorrow, and so few words ...

Rest their sweet little souls https://t.co/hfMlsFHLaM

— William Carter (@WillCarter_NRC) May 29, 2023

SW Ed: So sad. Lost for words. God Bless and Rest in Peace + + +

This destruction of Sudan is dehumanising its people

Report at OHCHR.org

Dated 23 May 2023 - excerpt:

Sudan suffering “dehumanizing”, UN human rights expert Radhouane Nouicer

GENEVA (23 May 2023) - The UN expert on human rights in Sudan on Tuesday described the level of civilian suffering from the ongoing fighting as dehumanizing.

“This is the destruction of a country in a way that is dehumanizing its people,” said Radhouane Nouicer, who was appointed late last year by the High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk upon request of the UN Human Rights Council to document and report human rights violations committed in Sudan since the 25 October 2021 coup. 

“What is going on is as bad as anything I have seen in conflict zones over the course of my long career. It is horrifying, tragic, brutal, and completely unnecessary. The full array of human rights - economic, social and cultural as much as civil and political - are being violated, and both parties have singularly failed to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law.”

Full story: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/05/sudan-suffering-dehumanizing-un-human-rights-expert-radhouane-nouicer

[Ends]

UN Rights Council votes to strengthen monitoring of abuses in Sudan

Report from IBT

By Nina LARSON, AFP

Dated Thursday 11 May 2023 AT 11:51 AM EDT - full copy:

UN Rights Council Votes To Strengthen Monitoring Of Abuses In Sudan

The UN Human Rights Council held a special session on the situation in Sudan AFP

The United Nations top rights body narrowly decided Thursday to beef up monitoring of abuses amid Sudan's spiralling conflict, despite vehement opposition from Khartoum.

The UN Human Rights Council's 47 members voted with 18 in favour, 15 opposed and 14 abstaining for a resolution calling for an end to the violence and strengthening the mandate of a UN expert on Sudan.

The resolution was adopted during a special council session, called following a request by Britain, Germany, Norway and the United States, and with the support of dozens of countries, to urgently address the violence that erupted in Sudan on April 15.

The tight vote came after Arab countries and others, including China, called for countries to oppose the resolution, maintaining it infringed upon Sudan's sovereignty, and African countries urged finding "African solutions to African problems".

But backers of the text insisted it was vital for the council to act swiftly.

"This is a really important day" British ambassador Simon Manley told AFP, hailing the council for its "vote for peace."

Nearly a month into Sudan's bloody conflict, civilians are still trying to flee, boarding evacuation planes with just a few belongings and leaving behind their homes, relatives and lives.

More than 750 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands have been displaced in the fighting that began on April 15 between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The fighting has plunged "this much-suffering country into catastrophe", United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said at the start of the one-day session.

Decrying "the wanton violence", he called on "all states with influence in the region to encourage, by all possible means, the resolution of this crisis".

Thursday's council session in Geneva was called to urgently address a situation that everyone present agreed was dire.

But the mandate adopted was not very strong.

It called "for an immediate cessation of violence by all parties, without pre-conditions", but refrained from ordering any new investigation into abuses.

Instead, it ordered the existing Special Rapporteur on the rights situation in Sudan to provide "detailed monitoring and documentation of... all allegations of human rights violations and abuses since the 25 October 2021, including those arising directly from the current conflict", and to report his findings to the council.

Even with such a weak text, it barely squeaked past.

Sudan's ambassador Hassan Hamid Hassan vehemently opposed the special session and the resolution, insisting to the council that "what is happening in Sudan is an internal affair" and cautioning the session could distract from efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire.

Without Sudan's blessing, other African and Arab countries said they would not be able to support the resolution, while some other countries also expressed opposition.

"The international community should respect Sudan's sovereignty and ownership of internal affairs," China's ambassador Chen Xu said.

Critics also charged that there had been no need to rush to hold a special session when the rights council's next regular session is only weeks away.

But US ambassador Michele Taylor insisted that "the devastating human rights and humanitarian conflict in Sudan over the past four weeks is truly heart-wrenching."

"We needed to act with urgency because of the enormous gravity and suffering of the people of Sudan today."

View original: https://www.ibtimes.com/un-rights-council-votes-strenthen-monitoring-abuses-sudan-3692661

[Ends]

UNHRC 1st meeting of its special session on the human rights impact of ongoing conflict in Sudan

#SS36 | The @UN🇺🇳 Human Rights Council concluded the first meeting of its special session on #Sudan🇸🇩.

The second meeting of this special session will begin at 3 p.m. GMT+2 and will be webcast here ➡️https://t.co/yFqCARGkha https://t.co/yfIkkoA1dp pic.twitter.com/EXbKDiXbZj

— UN Human Rights Council (@UN_HRC) May 11, 2023

[Ends]

UK urges accountability at UN for abuses in Sudan

THE UK called for an emergency meeting of UN Human Rights Council held today to push for accountability over violence and rights abuses in Sudan. 

Report from MSN.com

By REUTERS

Reporting by Emma Farge; editing by Matthias Williams

Published Thursday 11 May 2023 c.10:00 am BST UK - full copy:

Britain urges accountability at UN for rights abuses in Sudan

GENEVA (Reuters) – Britain urged the U.N. Human Rights Council to push for accountability over violence in Sudan at an emergency meeting in Geneva on Thursday but Sudan pushed back, saying the events unfolding there were an “internal affair”.

Britain’s minister of state for development and Africa Andrew Mitchell urged the 47-member council to “send a united message of concern and horror” ahead of an expected vote. Sudan’s ambassador told the council: “What’s happening in Sudan is an internal affair”.

Fleeing Sudanese seek refuge in Chad copyright Thomson Reuters

View original: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/britain-urges-accountability-at-un-for-rights-abuses-in-sudan/ar-AA1b2peL

[Ends]

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss condemns military coup in Sudan - Calls for release of all detainees

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has condemned the military coup in Sudan and called on the military to place the democratic transition back on course.

From:

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP

Published Friday 5 November 2021

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:

The United Kingdom strongly condemns the military coup in Sudan on 25 October. In 2019, the Sudanese agreed on a unique partnership between civilians and military in order to steer Sudan’s transition to full democracy. That partnership delivered huge progress, from abolishing oppressive laws to economic reforms and the Juba Peace agreement to help end decades of conflict.

The military’s unilateral actions threaten all of these gains. In detaining civilian politicians and activists, and unilaterally amending the 2019 Constitutional Declaration, the military have undermined the spirit and letter of both that hard-won 2019 compromise, and also the Juba Peace Agreement. The Sudanese people have taken to the streets in their millions in recent days to reject these actions. International condemnation has been fast and widespread.

It is still however possible for Sudan’s transition to get back on course. The United Kingdom welcomes and supports mediation efforts and urge the military to engage in a spirit of compromise. We note the release of four detainees on 4 November, but call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained since 25 October, the restoration of the Constitutional Declaration as a starting point for dialogue, and for security forces to respect the right to peaceful protest.

The United Kingdom will continue to support the Sudanese people in their demands for freedom, peace and justice. The military have the opportunity to put the transition back on course; the United Kingdom urges them to do so now.

Media enquiries

Email newsdesk@fcdo.gov.uk

Telephone 020 7008 3100

Contact the FCDO Communication Team via email (monitored 24 hours a day) in the first instance, and we will respond as soon as possible.

Published 5 November 2021

View original:  https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-secretary-condemns-military-coup-in-sudan

العربية

UK's Simon Manley @UN_HRC: Sudan's civilian-led govt must be restored, detainees freed, and human rights respected

This afternoon the @UN_HRC sent a strong, clear and united message: that Sudan’s civilian-led government must be restored, detainees freed, and human rights respected.

My thanks to our 🇩🇪🇳🇴🇺🇸 partners and all those delegations who worked so intensively with us this week. pic.twitter.com/OQOptVbUks

— Simon Manley (@SimonManleyFCDO) November 5, 2021

UN Human Rights Council Special Session on Sudan - Adoption of draft resolution HRC/S-32/L.1

Speech. UN Human Rights Council Special Session on Sudan: Adoption of the resolution. Simon Manley, UK Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, delivered the UK statement during the UN Human Rights Council Special Session on Sudan.

From:

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Simon Manley CMG

Published on: Friday 5 November 2021

Location: Geneva, Switzerland

Delivered on: Friday 5 November 2021 

(Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Photo: Simon Manley CMG the United Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization, United Nations and other International Organisations based in Geneva

Thank you Madam President.

On behalf of the Core Group consisting of Germany, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, I am is pleased to introduce this draft resolution HRC / S-32 / L.1, as orally revised. The oral revisions have been posted on e-delegate.

Madam President,

Swift, effective and strong action by this Council in response to the military takeover of 25 October in Sudan, is the reason we and others called for today’s Special Session.

The draft resolution we present today, in our view, achieves that. It has been the product of extensive consultations over the last few days, including with Sudan as the country concerned, the African Group, and other delegations. We are deeply grateful to all those who have worked with us so constructively and intensively on the draft resolution that we have before us today.

Madam President, this draft resolution delivers three key outcomes:

First, it condemns in the strongest possible terms the military takeover of 25 October in Sudan, and joins the calls made elsewhere, including by the African Union and the United Nations Security Council, for the immediate restoration of its civilian-led government, and the release of all those detained arbitrarily, since the takeover began.

Second, it requests the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to update the Council, at its next regular Session, on the human rights situation since the takeover. The continued excellent work of the OHCHR Country Office in Khartoum will be crucial to achieving this.

Third, the Council requests the High Commissioner to designate an Expert on Human Rights in Sudan, who will provide further monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation since the takeover, and present a comprehensive written report to the Council at its 50th session. The term of office of this Expert on Human Rights in Sudan, will conclude upon the restoration of its civilian led government. This restoration should be immediate.

Madam President,

The Core Group understands that this text enjoys the support of the country concerned, and of the African Group following our intensive consultations.

Accordingly, we hope that all States, members and non-members alike, will support wholeheartedly this resolution. In doing so, the Council will demonstrate clearly that it stands in solidarity with the people of Sudan in their struggle for democracy and human rights.

Thank you

Published 5 November 2021

View original: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/un-human-rights-council-special-session-on-sudan-adoption-of-the-resolution

____________________________________________________________________

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UK's @SimonManleyFCDO: “Sudanese democracy must - and will - prevail”

My statement this afternoon at the special session of the 🇺🇳 Human Rights Council on Sudan.

Sudanese democracy must - and will - prevail https://t.co/EPbXGtpBzO

— Simon Manley (@SimonManleyFCDO) November 5, 2021