Sudanese President Arrives to China after His Plane Was Turned Back By Turkmenistan

Hu Jintao and Omar al-Bashir

President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir arrived in China on Tuesday morning, after being compelled to postpone meeting with Chinese leaders due to the fact that his plane was turned back by the authorities of Turkmenistan.

Bashir was coming from Iran and was scheduled to meet with the Chinese president Hu Jintao.

Sudanese Foreign Ministry spokesman said that the incident was caused by a technical malfunction, denying that it had something to do with the fact that an ICC arrest warrant had been issued for the president because of his implication in the genocide in Darfur.

Bashir attended a conference on combating terrorism in Tehran and then went to China to speak with the president of the second-largest world economy.

Hu Jintao Visiting Sudan

Because of the international arrest warrant, countries like Turkey, Central African Republic or Zambia had to cancel visits of the Sudanese president.

However, China is not compelled to follow suit because it is not signatory of the Rome Statute, which is the foundation on which it was built the International Criminal Court.

China has close ties with Sudan and expressed much interest in economic relations with the south, which is to become an independent state on July 9.

Bashir will discuss with Hu Jintao different issues related to the north-south peace process in Sudan, and to the situation in Darfur.

Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that the delay of Sudanese president’s arrival to Beijing will not impact on the visit’s schedule.

International analysts consider that by receiving al-Bashir in Beijing, China disregards the death of thousands in the province of Darfur.

ICC issued an arrest warrant on Monday in the name of Muammar al Qaddafi, president of Libya, accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.