Silence on Darfur deafening, ICC chief says

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court Fatou Bensouda told the U.N. Security Council its silence on crimes committed in Darfur was deafening.

"This council's silence, even when notified of clear failures and/or violations by U.N. member states of their obligations to comply with this council's resolutions, only serves to add insult to the plight of Darfur's victims," she testified Wednesday.

Sang Hyun-song, president of the International Criminal Court, said in his annual report last month he was concerned about the lack of attention to outstanding arrest warrants for "very grave crimes" committed in Sudan's troubled Darfur region.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is among those wanted for atrocities allegedly committed in Darfur. He's wanted on 10 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Bensouda told the Security Council victims of the conflict have lost hope.

"The time has come for this council and states parties [to the ICC] to seriously devise strategies for arresting those alleged to be responsible for these crimes," she said. "This is the only way to stop the seemingly endless suffering of the Darfur victims."

More than 400,000 people have been displaced in the ongoing conflict in Darfur this year, she said.