The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), Professor Ekmeleddine Ihsanoglu, expressed his deep concern over the plan by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute Sudanese government officials. The Secretary General warned against the grave ramifications that might arise out of this move. He pointed out that this development is unraveling at a highly sensitive juncture, as the joint UN-African Union (AU) peace-keeping operation has just been appointed, which could seriously threaten the fragile peace in Darfur. Prof. Ihsanoglu also expressed his surprise that the ICC, which has on different occasions opted for silence on atrocities perpetrated in various parts of the world, mainly in the Middle East, found it now fit to bring up such a controversial issue that might jeopardize the quest for peace in Sudan and the region. This approach, the Secretary General added, amounts to double standards and will not be conducive to enhance the efforts aiming at healing and reconciliation in the region. Such an approach could also lead to the politicization of issues of a purely legal character. The OIC, he added, condemns all acts committed in impunity and strongly favors the search for justice in a manner that does not escalate the threat of instability in any region of the world.
