Khartoum, August 26, 2010 (SSNA) — Sudanese president Omar Hassan al-Bashir will attend the ceremony of Kenya’s new constitution, Sudan state run media SUNA reports on Thursday.
SUNA initially broke the news saying al-Bashir will head to Kenya on Friday at the invitation from his Kenyan counterpart president Mwai Kibaki to attend the celebrations of the declaration of the new Kenyan constitution.
However, during a briefing to the media, Kenya’s secretary to the Cabinet Amb Francis Muthaura indicated that presidents of Tanzania, Rwanda, Comoros, Somalia and Government of Southern Sudan as among those who would attend the occasion, according to the Daily Nation-Kenya.
“President Al-Bashir will be accompanied during the visit by the Minister at the Presidency of the Republic, Gen. Bakri Hassan Salih, the Presidential Advisor, Dr Mustafa Osman Ismail, the Foreign Minister, Ali Karti, and the Director of the National Security and Intelligence, Gen. Mohamed Atta”, SUNA further explained.
It is not clear as to why the president would only choose top government figures who are from his ruling National Congress party (NCP) without including anyone from his main peace partner, the SPLM.
Khartoum has increasingly becomes furious after al-Bashir was charged in June by the Hague-based court with three counts of genocide.
Omar al-Bashir who consistently refused to recognize court rulings went to Chad in June to attend three days summit of the Sahel-Saharan states – a move seen by many analysts as collective effort by Khartoum the defy the court.
The Sudanese president is wanted by International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
Kenya is a member of Rome Statue and can implement the warrant if it chooses to do so.
The South Sudan News Agency (SSNA) has not independently confirmed the report whether or not president al-Bashsir left for Nairobi to attend the ceremony.