Arrest Now: Bring War Crimes Suspects to Justice

George Clooney arrested at Sudan rally on March 16th | Amnesty International

Global attention on LRA leader Joseph Kony has also shone a light on the 11 other suspects wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide — including Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

On Friday, Amnesty joined actor George Clooney, members of Congress, and other NGOs in a demonstration against ongoing human rights violations in Sudan, a war-ravaged country where nearly half a million people are on the brink of starvation.

Fugitives like al-Bashir and Joseph Kony are shielded by powerful supporters and states. The failure to bring them to justice means that they are free to commit more crimes, placing civilians in the areas in which they operate at great risk.

Write to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon urging the UN to provide all the necessary resources to protect civilians and to support the arrest and surrender of all those wanted by the ICC.

Message Text

I welcome the United Nations’ efforts to end abuses being committed, including against children, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic (CAR), South Sudan, Sudan and Libya. I support the UN’s vital role in bringing about the arrest of individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.

However, I am deeply concerned that civilians continue to be at serious risk.

The UN has a critical role to play in providing protection, monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation in affected areas. Despite its strong protection mandate, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) is still under-resourced for the provision of effective civilian protection. For example, MONUSCO has been instructed by the Security Council to give priority to protection of civilians, but in your own recent report, you admitted that limited resources are hampering the mission’s efforts. The United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan should take a proactive approach to implement its mandate to protect civilians under imminent threat of violence, including against abuses committed by the LRA. In the CAR, there are no UN peacekeepers. The UN should, through your representatives, work with regional and governmental authorities to protect civilians from armed actors committing crimes under international law.

I urge you to take urgent measures to define and secure the additional resources required by all relevant UN missions and agencies in affected states to protect civilians and give all necessary political, diplomatic, and logistical support to states to effect arrests of ICC fugitives.

vicious people like these
an abomination
and a disgrace
sadly, when they are gone
many others take
their place:(

Karen Lyons Kalmenson