VOA标准英语2008年-Sudanese Officials Meet With AU on ICC Charges

Sudan is trying to rally diplomatic support for rejecting war crimes charges against President Omar al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court. As Derek Kilner reports from VOA's East Africa bureau in Nairobi, Sudanese officials presented their objections to the African Union Peace and Security Council in Addis Ababa.

Following the decision by the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor¹ to seek the arrest of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for his role in the conflict in the country's western region of Darfur, Sudan has attempted to bolster² international opposition³ to such a move.
　
Abdel Basit Sabdarat, Minister of Justice of Sudan (File)

A Sudanese delegation⁴ led by Justice Minister Abdel Basit Sabdarat went before the African Union's main security organ. The deputy head of Sudan's diplomatic mission in Ethiopia, Akuei Bona Malwal, described Sudan's opposition to issuing an arrest warrant for President Bashir.

"It should be deferred⁵ until we establish peace. Because these things they have no time limit, what is the rush now? The idea is that this warrant be deferred until there is a peace process. Of course, we are all against impunity⁶ [exemption from punishment] and we hope there will be justice at the end of it. We are not saying he should not go on investigating, but he should not go on arresting the head of state at this junction," said Malwal.

Malwal said he believes AU officials were receptive to Sudan's arguments. Following the presentation, the Peace and Security Council took up the issue of the ICC indictment⁷ in a closed session.

ICC judges are deciding whether to grant chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo's request for an arrest warrant, which could take up to a few months. With enough diplomatic backing from countries in Africa and the Middle East, as well as from China and Russia, it is possible that the U.N. Security Council could ask that the warrant be deferred for one year.

The head of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, is in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, to discuss the case against President Bashir. Both the Arab League and the African Union, have expressed concern with the attempt to prosecute⁸ President Bashir.

U.N. officials, aid workers and political analysts⁹ have also cautioned that an arrest warrant could invite violent retaliation¹⁰ in Darfur, and jeopardize¹¹ peace efforts, not only in Darfur, where such efforts have largely failed to get off the ground, but also in South Sudan, where a 2005 peace agreement appears increasingly precarious¹².

Many human rights advocates, meanwhile, have applauded Moreno-Ocampo for striking a blow against impunity. President Bashir would be the first sitting head of state charged by the court.

Moreno-Ocampo is seeking charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide for President Bashir. He has also said he is investigating the role of rebel leaders in an attack on AU peacekeepers last year in Darfur.

A joint¹³ U.N.-African Union mission took over from that force in January, but has suffered a number of setbacks. Fewer than 10,000 of the planned 26,000 troops have been deployed¹⁴. Earlier this month, seven peacekeepers were killed in an ambush¹⁵, and another was killed last week.

The U.N. estimates that between 200,000 and 300,000 people have died in the conflict in Darfur since 2003. The Sudanese government says no more than 10,000 have been killed.

　

 

1 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

2 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

3 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

4 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

5 deferred   

adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从

参考例句：

• The department deferred the decision for six months. 这个部门推迟了六个月才作决定。
• a tax-deferred savings plan 延税储蓄计划

6 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。

7 indictment   

n.起诉；诉状

参考例句：

• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
• They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。

8 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

9 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

10 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 jeopardize   

vt.危及，损害

参考例句：

• Overworking can jeopardize your health.工作过量可能会危及你的健康。
• If you are rude to the boss it may jeopardize your chances of success.如果你对上司无礼，那就可能断送你成功的机会。

12 precarious   

adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的

参考例句：

• Our financial situation had become precarious.我们的财务状况已变得不稳定了。
• He earned a precarious living as an artist.作为一个艺术家，他过得是朝不保夕的生活。

13 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

14 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

15 ambush   

n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击

参考例句：

• Our soldiers lay in ambush in the jungle for the enemy.我方战士埋伏在丛林中等待敌人。
• Four men led by a sergeant lay in ambush at the crossroads.由一名中士率领的四名士兵埋伏在十字路口。