Dix ans après le renvoi de la situation au Darfour devant la Cour pénale internationale (CPI), la population de cette région soudanaise en proie à un conflit armé continue d’être livrée à son « triste sort », « tandis que les individus contre lesquels des mandats d’arrêt ont été émis par la CPI continuent de se soustraire à la justice ».
Le soutien du
Conseil de sécurité est indispensable, tout d’abord, pour faire exécuter, par
les États membres, les mandats d’arrêt émis contre les quatre personnes
actuellement visées par une procédure de la Cour: le Président du Soudan, M.
Omar Al-Bachir; l’ex-Ministre d’État aux affaires humanitaires, M. Ahmad Harun;
l’actuel Gouverneur de l’État de Khartoum, M. Abdel Rahim Mohammed Hussein; et
M. Ali Kushayb, présumé dirigeant des miliciens janjaouites.
Rappelant que
certains de ces individus, dont le Président Al-Bachir, se déplacent à
l’étranger sans être inquiétés à ce jour, Mme Bensouda a été soutenue par
plusieurs membres du Conseil de sécurité, dont le Royaume-Uni, la France,
l’Espagne, le Chili, la Lituanie et les États-Unis.
À l’inverse,
les délégations africaines siégeant au Conseil de sécurité – le Tchad, l’Angola
et le Nigéria – se sont ralliées à la position de l’Union africaine, appelant à
lever les sanctions dont fait l’objet le Président Al-Bachir et à retirer la
situation au Darfour de l’ordre du jour de la CPI au profit d’une coopération
avec le Soudan. Ce point de vue a également été défendu par la Fédération de
Russie et la Chine.
Tandis que le
représentant du Soudan rappelait l’« aversion systématique de l’Union
africaine pour l’ingérence et les fausses accusations de la Cour », son
homologue du Tchad a jugé, pour sa part, préférable de « travailler de
manière concomitante sur les questions de paix et de justice », plutôt que
de voir la CPI s’acharner à « tenter de rendre justice en temps de
guerre ».
La délégation
soudanaise a accusé le Bureau du Procureur de la CPI d’être « responsable,
à travers ses actions et ses encouragements aux rebelles et aux hors-la-loi
armés, de toutes les pertes en vies humaines depuis 2005, des violations des
droits humains commises par ces hors-la-loi, des souffrances endurées par les
personnes blessées et déplacées, et de la destruction de biens, non seulement
au Soudan, mais aussi dans tous les autres cas où la Cour est intervenue sur le
continent africain ».
Si certains
membres du Conseil de sécurité se sont réjouis du dialogue national, initié en
octobre 2015 par le Président Al-Bachir en personne, auquel les groupes armés
sont appelés à prendre part, le représentant de la France a toutefois regretté
que la dernière réunion préalable à ce processus, qui s’est tenue à Addis-Abeba
il y a quelques semaines, « n’ait pas permis d’aboutir à des progrès
substantiels ».
Le soutien
renforcé du Conseil que la Procureure a appelé le 15 décembre de ses vœux ne
concernait pas seulement l’exécution des mandats d’arrêt. Il porte aussi,
a-t-elle expliqué, sur la capacité de son Bureau à enquêter.
« Contrairement
à la rumeur infondée selon laquelle les enquêtes au Darfour auraient
cessé », a-t-elle fait remarquer, une équipe d’avocats et d’enquêteurs,
diligentée par ses soins, continue d’entendre des témoins et de recueillir des
éléments de preuve et des informations à partir de sources multiples.
Ces efforts,
a-t-elle cependant prévenu, sont entravés par un manque de ressources. Elle
a souligné, « une fois encore », que, conformément aux dispositions
de l’article 115 (b) du Statut de Rome, le financement de la Cour doit être
assuré par les Nations Unies, « en particulier pour couvrir les dépenses
entraînées par le renvoi de situations par le Conseil de sécurité, comme c’est
le cas de celle au Darfour ».
La Procureure
a, enfin, plaidé pour le renforcement et le développement des interactions
entre la CPI et le Conseil de sécurité, également couvertes par le Statut de
Rome. Plaidant pour des échanges réguliers, « des exposés
indépendants et périodiques » sur la situation au Darfour,
Mme Bensouda a souhaité que le Conseil de sécurité soit en mesure, à
l’avenir, de répondre plus efficacement aux attentes de la CPI et aux
situations dont elle est saisie.
« Seule
une action et un engagement vigoureux du Conseil et des États membres de l’ONU
pourra mettre fin à l’impunité des crimes graves commis au Darfour et tenir
pour responsables les auteurs de ces actes abominables ».
Madame President, Your Excellencies,
1. Each time I appear before the United Nations Security Council to brief its Members on judicial developments at the International Criminal Court ("Court" or the "ICC") and to update you on the activities of my Office with respect to the Situation in Darfur, I wish I could declare that at last the victims of the protracted and incessant conflict in Darfur will soon see justice, and that persons alleged to be responsible for Rome Statute crimes in Darfur will soon be held accountable before the Court. Unfortunately, the reality is that the individuals against whom ICC arrest warrants have been issued continue to remain at large.
1. Each time I appear before the United Nations Security Council to brief its Members on judicial developments at the International Criminal Court ("Court" or the "ICC") and to update you on the activities of my Office with respect to the Situation in Darfur, I wish I could declare that at last the victims of the protracted and incessant conflict in Darfur will soon see justice, and that persons alleged to be responsible for Rome Statute crimes in Darfur will soon be held accountable before the Court. Unfortunately, the reality is that the individuals against whom ICC arrest warrants have been issued continue to remain at large.
2. Ten years have elapsed since this
Council concluded that the Situation in Darfur, Sudan, constituted a threat to
international peace and security. It was on this basis that the Council decided
to refer the Darfur situation to the Office of the Prosecutor of the Court so
that those alleged to be responsible for Rome Statute crimes may be
investigated and prosecuted.
3. As recently as 29 June 2015, in
its Resolution 2228, this Council reiterated yet again, as it has done in many
of its previous Resolutions, that "the situation in Sudan constitutes a
threat to international peace and security." Starting with UNSCR 1593,
each of the resolutions adopted by this Council represented hope for the
victims of grave crimes allegedly committed in Darfur that they will not be forgotten;
that those responsible for their suffering will be held accountable, and that
peace and tranquillity will return to their lives, families and communities.
4. I observe with great regret that
the adoption of each Resolution has, in practical terms, amounted to no more
than an empty promise. Year after year, victims' hopes and aspirations for
justice and a durable peace have been dashed.
5. Instead, the people of Darfur
have continued to endure desolation, alleged gross violations of human rights;
indiscriminate killings; mass rape and sexual abuse, while the individuals
against whom ICC arrest warrants have been issued, and who may be implicated in
these crimes, continue to evade justice. Countless victims have been
demoralised.
6. After all, who can blame them
when attaining justice appears so remote; not the least because of the absence
of adequate follow-up and support from the Council. Their frustration and
resignation in the face of inaction must weigh heavily on our collective
conscience.
7. My Office's numerous Reports to
this Council over the years must offer little, if any, solace to victims of
atrocity crimes in Darfur. Despite my repeated requests for the Council to take
action with respect to Sudan's blatant disregard of its obligations, and in
violation of this Council's Resolutions, my appeals continue to be unheeded.
8. As my Office's reports have
indicated, Mr Al Bashir is not only a fugitive from justice who continues to
travel across international borders, but he also harbours other fugitives and
refuses to facilitate their surrender and transfer to the ICC to be tried.
9. My Office, and indeed the Court
as a whole, do not have powers of arrest. Those powers rest with States. In the
case of Sudan, this Council which referred the situation in Darfur to the ICC
has important responsibilities to ensure that States uphold their obligations.
I can only reiterate my appeals to this Council to take appropriate measures
within its powers to ensure that all Darfur situation fugitives are apprehended
and brought to justice for the sake of the victims.
10. Today, my message to the victims
in Darfur is clear and unequivocal: we shall not stop our work and we shall not
despair. My Office remains firmly committed to its legal mandate with respect
to Darfur, Sudan. We will also continue our principled approach and will
repeatedly call upon this Council to more robustly support our work. Victims of
atrocity crimes in Darfur should rest assured that the cases against the Sudan
suspects are far from over. Contrary to the misinformed belief that
investigations in Darfur have been closed, a team of committed lawyers and
investigators from my Office is continuing with its work of interviewing
witnesses, collecting documentary evidence and seeking information from
relevant sources.
11. My team is also continuously
reviewing the evidence and following leads. In short, notwithstanding the
challenges present, we are doing everything we can within our mandate and
means. Our resolve to fully meet our mandate vis-à-vis Darfur remains unshaken.
Let me be clear, the arrest warrants against all Sudanese fugitives remain in
full force and effect, and my Office will continue its efforts to do everything
feasible within its powers to press for their arrest and surrender.
Madame President,
12. The victims of Darfur will no
longer find solace in our words. They deserve tangible justice, and they
deserve to see justice is being done. What is required is concrete and joint
action by this Council, the States and the Court to achieve real progress.
13. Without arrest and surrender,
this Council will not be able to deliver on the promise to hold accountable
those alleged to be responsible for committing Rome Statute crimes in Darfur,
neither will it be able to facilitate sustainable peace and security in Sudan.
14. Whether it be in the former
Yugoslavia, Rwanda or Sierra Leone, this Council has repeatedly demonstrated
that where there has been widespread commission of atrocity crimes against
thousands of victims, peace and reconciliation cannot be fully achieved unless
and until those responsible for the crimes are held accountable. The same
rationale applies to Darfur. The criminal justice process that commenced with
the Court's issuance of arrest warrants against Mr Al Bashir and other suspects
in the situation must be adequately supported.
15. I must also emphasise that my
Office's ability to effectively and fully discharge the mandate this Council
entrusted to it is hampered by lack of resources. The level of investigative
activities in Darfur is necessarily a function of capacity and resource
constraints. I have stressed similar concerns in various other contexts,
including in my last briefing before the Council last month.
16. I take this opportunity to once again recall the provisions of article
115(b) of the Rome Statute in accordance with which funds of the Court may be
provided by the United Nations, in particular in relation to the expenses
incurred due to referrals by the Council. The situation in Darfur is one such
referral, and it is incumbent upon this Council to help support and devise
innovative ways of providing the much needed resources for my Office's
investigative activities.
Madame President,
17. Victims of Darfur have been let
down for far too long.
18. If I may be so bold, this
Council must do more to demonstrate its commitment to Darfur, Sudan. It must
confidently play its part in facilitating the arrest of suspects against whom
the Court has issued warrants of arrest. It must act concretely on the Court's
non-compliance communications. In this regard, I thank the Council Members who
are tirelessly working to ensure that communications from the Court receive the
attention they deserve by the Council. Ultimately, this august body must
recognise its crucial role vis-à-vis those states, including Sudan, that have
been found to be in non-compliance by the Court, and to fully assume its
responsibilities to advance the objectives of the Rome Statute.
19. I conclude my remarks this
morning by making the following observation: the interplay between the Court
and the Council is entrenched in the founding treaty of the ICC, and hence, is
here to stay. It is reasonable to expect that with time and increased
inter-institutional interaction, the burgeoning relations between these two
important institutions will develop further and evolve.
20. I encourage regular exchanges
with the Council, independent of the situation related periodic briefings, so
that we may jointly brainstorm and address inter-institutional matters
regarding how to strengthen the support and working methods of the Council in
relation to the ICC, building on a similar and most helpful initiative
organised in October of last year under the Presidency of Argentina. More
opportunities for dialogue and exchange of views between the Court and the
Council will be conducive to generating ideas and practical solutions, enabling
the Council to more effectively respond to ICC related matters.
Madame President,
21. Ending impunity for the world's
most destabilising and gravest crimes is not the prerogative of one single
institution. It is a collective responsibility with humanity as a whole as its
beneficiary.
22. This Council's tangible,
consistent and principled support for the Court will be an important factor for
not only the maintenance of international peace and security but also the cause
of international criminal justice in this new century. Indeed, the former is in
many ways contingent on the latter.
23. As detailed in my report, terrible crimes
allegedly continue to be perpetrated in Darfur. Only strong and committed
action by the Council and States will stop the commission of grave crimes in
Darfur and ensure that the perpetrators of past crimes are held accountable.
24. History will surely stand witness to the
tenacity of our will and ability to deliver on our respective obligations.
Aucun commentaire :
Enregistrer un commentaire