-Hague court dismisses charges against Sudan rebel

February 8th, 2010 at 12:53 pm




AMSTERDAM, Feb 8 - The International Criminal Court dismissed charges against a Sudanese rebel leader on Monday, ruling against allegations he helped orchestrate the killing of 12 African Union peacekeepers in Darfur in 2007.


The war crimes court threw out the charges against Abu Garda, after the pre-trial chamber ruled that he could not be held criminally responsible for the attack.


"The chamber declines to confirm the charges against Mr Abu Garda," the court said, but added the prosecution was still able to submit fresh evidence in a bid to have the charges upheld.


The ICC's Office of the Prosecutor could not immediately comment on the ruling.


Abu Garda, the first Sudanese rebel to appear before the court in The Hague, had denied all charges when he voluntarily attended a hearing in October to determine if he should face trial over the attack on the AU peacekeeping base.


Deputy prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said last year the peacekeepers were murdered by combined rebel forces under Abu Garda's control, adding most of them were executed with gun shots at close range.


Abu Garda, chairman of the United Resistance Front, is not in custody.

Reuters