The President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, has announced that he will be stepping down as leader of the country in 2020, when his current mandate ends. Al-Bashir first took office in 1989. He told the BBC that the role was “exhausting” and his current term would be his last.
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants against President Bashir for charges of genocide and war crimes but he has dismissed the Court as a “politicised tribunal”. The President stated that his popularity in Sudan can be gauged by the size of the large crowds that come to greet him: “These are the same crowds I’m accused of having committed genocide and ethnic cleansing against. This is why I’ve defied the tribunal, and [why] I’ve been travelling freely around the world.”
To read about this story on the BBC News website, click below:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-35983518
Image source: topnews.in
Text source: www.bbc.co.uk (7th April 2016)