Al-Bashir was guest of AU - Zuma

President Jacob Zuma

President Jacob Zuma

Published Aug 6, 2015

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President Jacob Zuma on Thursday denied that South Africa had defied a court order and flouted its obligations under international law by allowing Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir leave South Africa in June. In reponse to a question from opposition leader Mmusi Maimane in Parliament, Zuma said al-Bashir was a guest of the African Union and not the South African government while he was in the country.

"We have no right to interfere in the business of the AU," Zuma said after an initial chuckle in response to the DA leader's question.

Maimane had raised the matter after Zuma spoke about the relationship between the judiciary and the executive.

He charged that Zuma had taken an oath to uphold the Constitution yet had "violated the sacred principle of separation of powers by allowing al-Bashir to leave".

Zuma also argued that the Sudanese president, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity relating to the conflict in Darfur, only tread on ground that was technically under the control of the AU for the duration of the summit.

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