Sudan’s Bashir cancels visit

ARCHIVES 2011

By admin-s On Jun 16, 2011

The Sudanese president has other ‘pressing engagements’, says Anifah Aman.

(FMT) KUALA LUMPUR: Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted for war crimes, will no longer attend a weekend summit in Malaysia, said authorities who had been under pressure to cancel the visit.

Bashir has “pressing engagements” and will not make it to the economic conference of African and Asian leaders starting on Sunday in Putrajaya, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said.

Anifah told state television late yesterday that Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), would send Sudan’s foreign minister to attend the gathering instead.

Human rights groups had urged Malaysia to withdraw its invitation to Bashir, saying that although it is not a signatory to the ICC, it should arrest Bashir for genocide if he travelled to the Southeast Asian country.

Malaysia on the weekend confirmed that Bashir and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe would be among several African leaders participating in the three-day forum held in the administrative capital Putrajaya.

But Anifah said: “The latest information which I got before I came here was that the Sudanese president will not be able to make it because he has other pressing engagements.”

Deputy foreign minister Kohilan Pillay confirmed the comments today.

“Yes, it is confirmed. He is not coming,” he told AFP. “He will send his representative.”

Mugabe is still expected to attend the conference, Kohilan said.