Will Bashir now be arrested on ICC warrants?

The fall of Sudan's long-serving ruler signifies hope for victims of his atrocities in the last three decades, the  International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has said.

Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir reportedly resigned on Thursday morning following months of public protests pressing for his removal.

ICJ-Kenya Sam Muhochi said his removal should pave way for enforcement of the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrests warrant.

He has two arrest warrants,  one issued on March 4, 2009, and another on July 12, 2010, for alleged involvement in attacks on civilians and pillaging and three counts of genocide.

The crimes against humanity left over 300,000 people dead and more than two million displaced in the Darfur region between 2003 and 2008.

Despite the arrest warrants, Bashir has been roaming around the world including visiting ICC member states like Kenya to the bewilderment of rights groups.

“The fact that Bashir is resigning or has resigned paves the way for enforcement of warrants of arrest that have been pending. As part of international community Sudan is obliged in the principle of cooperation to enforce that warrant,” Muhochi said.

“The enforcement of the arrest warrants proved a nightmare is because he (Bashir) utilised his position as a head of state, to evade any means or efforts to put him to account,” he added.

He said that even though Sudan is not a member state to ICC it has an obligation as a member of the international community to oblige and make sure that those who commit atrocities are put to account and that no more atrocities occur on their land.

“Bashir's exit is a victory against impunity because for close to a decade he has effectively avoided being held to account personally for crimes against humanity,” Muhochi said.

“To victims of Darfur atrocities it is a light at the end of the tunnels that at —least justice can be done by holding Bashir to account for his role in Darfur conflict,” he added.