By Julianne LaJeunesse- University of New Mexico

U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf’s (R-Va.) objection to a Sudan lobbyist presence in Washington, D.C. didn’t find much of an audience Thursday, but the Congressman moved past the small crowd, calling on President Barack Obama to reject the Sudanese government’s prospective representation at the Capitol.

“Today, I am sending a letter to President Obama urging him to make it clear, in no uncertain terms, to both the State Department and the Treasury Department’s office of Foreign Assests Control, that under his administration, the government of Khartoum, will not be granted the necessary waiver to hire a lobbyist,” Wolf said. “A modern day accused war criminal is sitting as a head of the state of government of Sudan.”

Wolf noted Sudan President Omar al-Bashir’s March 2009 arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, and said in June 2004, he was part of a delegation of Congressmen who went to Sudan, where he witnessed what he described as “the nightmare.”

When al-Bashir was issued an ICC warrant, the Sudan government said they did not recognize the ICC as a legitimate agency.

Wolf said new consideration of Sudanese representation in the nation’s capital, “would be a disgrace and must not be permitted to take place under any circumstances.”

The Sudan government has not been represented in Washington, D.C. for more than four years, largely due to what the U.S. government once said was genocide in the country’s Darfur region.

Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad, Sudan’s ambassador to the United Nations, briefed the press at UN headquarters in New York today regarding the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) indictment of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

Ambassador Mohamad repeatedly denounced the indictment by ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, and rejected “in the strongest possible terms” the charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

The ambassador strongly asserted that “we do not recognize the authority of the ICC” and that “we consider this move as an affront” to the sovereignty to Sudan.  He also claimed that the charges are politically motivated, stating  “[Ocampo] only wants to settle political scores.”  When pressed on what specific political “scores” motivate Ocampo, ambassador Mohamed quickly changed the subject.

Regarding resolution of the Darfur crisis, the ambassador stated, “Darfur problems better be addressed by the Sudanese” and that international support should be “complimentary” to the efforts of the Sudanese government.

Ambassador Mohamed confidently expressed that the President’s travel schedule would not be interrupted, and that the ambassador would be surprised if President Bashir did not attend the United Nations annual General Assembly meeting in September.

More Talk Radio News Sudan Coverage

Listen to the full audio of Sudanese Ambassador to the United Nations Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad’s statement on the indictment of President Omar al-Bashir by the ICC. (16:39)

Soudbite audio below.

 

 Sudan Ambassador on ICC Indictment Full Statement: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Sudan Ambassador Condemns ICC Indictment: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Sudan Ambassador on Working with ICC: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Sudan Ambassador on Exemptions from ICC: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Sudan Ambassador on Political Process: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download