Sudanese Legal Affairs

Sudan refuses to recognize international jurisdiction over its people but this has not stopped world courts from attempting to hold Khartoum accountable for its actions.

Sudan has not only had its tarnished name dragged through the court of public opinion but also through international courts recently. Khartoum, however, has repeatedly shrugged off any outside rulings, insisting that their own judiciary will manage domestic issues.

On March 16, a court in Norfolk, Virginia ruled that Sudan is responsible for the USS Cole terrorist attack in 2000, which killed 17 American sailors in Yemen. The judge presiding over the case said there was "substantial evidence" that al-Qaeda could not have carried out this bombing without Sudanese support. He added he would need some time to determine the damages for the families, who are seeking over $100 million in compensation.

In late February, the International Criminal Court (ICC) named two Sudanese suspects they claim are responsible for 51 crimes against humanity and war crimes related to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Darfur. ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo accused Secretary of State for Humanitarian Affairs Ahmed Haroun, and Ali Kosheib, a Janjaweed militia leader, for extreme violations, including murder, torture and mass rape.

But since Khartoum did not ratify the Rome protocol, it refuses to recognize the ICC and insists that the international legal body has no jurisdiction over Sudanese citizens. Rebels in Darfur, however, praised the ruling and hoped that additional charges would be brought against other senior officials.

Sudan's leader, Omar al-Bashir, claims there is a Western conspiracy to overthrow his government and take his country's resources. He has rejected United Nations proposals to support the 7,000 African Union peacekeepers with additional troops. Meanwhile, observers say that over 200,000 people have been killed and that 2.5 million have been displaced since fighting between rebels and Janjaweed forces erupted in 2003.