Sudan minister faces fresh ICC arrest warrant

The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor is seeking an arrest warrant for Sudan’s defence minister, Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein, who faces charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes for allegedly helping orchestrate atrocities in Darfur.

The request brings to three the number of senior Sudanese leaders – including president Omar al-Bashir – accused of crimes in Darfur.

A file submitted to ICC judges says Husssein is among those who “bear greatest criminal responsibility” for atrocities in the Sudanese region from August 2003 to March 2004.

He is accused of overseeing a state-sponsored plan to attack villages in western Darfur. A panel of judges will study evidence before deciding whether to issue a warrant.