Nairobi, Kenya - Kenyan civil society activists have vowed to stage a citizens' arrest of Sudan's President Omar Al-Bashir if he visits Kenya, after a Kenyan High Court issued an arrest warrant against the Sudanese leader last week. 'We might be the only people capable of enforcing the arrest warrant,' said the Executive Director of the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), Atsango Chesoni,

'We have a chance to show solidarity with the people of Darfur (Western Sudan). We supported the formation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) because of the genocide in Rwanda. Kenyan government has an international obligation to cooperate,' Atsango said.

The ICC has issued two arrest warrants against President Al-Bashir for crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide charges over the long-drawn crisis in Darfur.

But when he visited Kenya, he was not arrested, prompting a legal action to compel his arrest if he visits again.

Kenya's High Court, the country's third highest ranking court, issued an arrest warrant against President Al-Bashir a week ago, saying the government was under obligation to cooperate in the arrest of the Sudanese leader.

Sudan has reacted angrily to the decision of the Kenyan court, issuing a two-week ultimatum to the Kenyan government to withdraw the arrest warrant or risk a break in the countries' diplomatic ties.

President Al-Bashir has also threatened to expel the Kenyan Ambassador to Sudan, Robert Ngesu, all the 1,000 Kenyan students in Khartoum and to ban all Kenyan-bound flights from overflying the Sudanese airspace, if the arrest warrant is not withdrawn.

'It is not accidental that our constitution talks about sovereignty several times,' said Njeri Kabeberi, a leading activist. 'We have abused our international obligations by hosting President Al-Bashir, a very embarrassing situation for Kenya. The Courts have ruled that it is illegal for that person to set foot in Kenya, yet our government wants to defend that person.'

Pana 05/12/2011