Sudan President Accused of War Crimes

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was officially accused of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity today in International Criminal Court, the BBC reports. The court must now decide whether to issue a warrant for Bashir’s arrest. If it does, Sudan’s government says it will disrupt the peace process in Darfur, and cause mayhem throughout the country.

In documents filed today, the court’s prosecutor said there were “reasonable grounds” to believe that Bashir bore criminal responsibility for the genocide in Darfur. “I don’t have the luxury to look away,” he wrote. “I have evidence.” Sudan calls the prosecutor himself a criminal. Worried that Sudan will take reprisals against international workers, the UN has evacuated some non-essential personnel. (More war crimes stories.)