The International Criminal Court (ICC) has threatened to arrest Sudanese president Gen. Omar-El-Bashir after it emerged that president Museveni had invited him to attend his swearing-in ceremony on Thursday at Kololo.

According to the Uganda Coalition on ICC coordinator Freda Apio, they have received information that government invited Bashir to Kampala. Opio described this as betrayal to the international community.

Sudan President, Omar Bashir

Addressing a press conference in Kampala Apio said that they had received information from Sudan indicating how Uganda government had invited Bashir to attend the Kololo ceremony on Thursday. Apio however says the ministry for foreign affairs says the Sudanese leader has not yet confirmed his attendance.

She says Uganda is party to the ICC and therefore inviting what she termed as an international criminal to Uganda not only betrays the fight against impunity in Uganda but also betrays the concerns and interests of the victims of the most heinous crimes.

Apio says the invitation of Bashir makes a mockery of the swearing-in ceremony and also portrays a systematic trend by some African states that have failed to cooperate with ICC.

She says the group wants Uganda to arrest Bashir and surrenders him to ICC in the event that the Sudan President attends the ceremony because he is wanted by ICC over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur region.

By Isaac Senabulya