ICC indictment an incentive for peace in Abyei?
Eric Witte August 9th, 2008
The government in Khartoum has agreed to a power-sharing deal in the disputed region of Abyei. A member of the southern Sudan People’s Liberation Movement is to serve as administrator of the oil-rich area, with a local pro-Khartoum Arab to serve as his deputy.
Assuming this deal holds (and past agreements haven’t, so don’t hold your breath), one wonders whether Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir hasn’t entered the compromise in order to strengthen the case that he’s an indispensible guarantor of peace with the south. A settlement in disputed Abyei could serve to dampen international enthusiasm to see al-Bashir handed over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) if ICC judges approve the prosecutor’s request for Darfur-related charges of genocide against him. In any case, the possibility should be considered in the larger debate over whether peace and justice are at odds in Sudan.
