We’ll arrest Bashir if he comes to AU, warns Banda

Malawi’s president Joyce Banda has warned that Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, will be arrested if he attends an African Union summit there next month.

Mrs Banda previously appealed to the AU not to invite the controversial leader to the African heads of state summit in the capital Lilongwe but her appeal was rejected.

Now she has told Andrew Mitchell, the UK International Development Secretary visiting Malawi this month, that if Mr Bashir does come, he will be detained.

“Malawi is a state party to the ICC, therefore, the president is being logical and making it clear that if al-Bashir comes to Malawi, he will be arrested,” Mr Mitchell told Malawi’s Nation newspaper.

Mrs Banda had asked for Mr Bashir to stay away because of the “economic implications” his visit might have on Malawi.

It is seeking to re-establish relations with key donors, including Britain, following the death of its autocratic president Bingu wa Mutharika who fell out with many of them, prompting contractions in aid funding.

“He [Bashir] should forgive us this time as we are struggling to fix the economy,” she said.

Mrs Banda’s fears about the effects of Mr Bashir’s visit on aid are well-founded.

This week, Luis Moreno Ocampo, the ICC prosecutor, echoed a call by the US for aid to be cut to any country that helps Mr Bashir. He said. “Stop all the money to them and they will arrest Bashir, it’s simple.”

But last month, a committee of eight AU heads of state meeting in Benin insisted it was not for any country hosting the organisation to decide who attends its summits.