Genocide charges for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has been brought up on genocide charges with regard to his harsh treatment of people in the Darfur region, by the International Criminal Court. This is the first time the Court has filed charges against a sitting head of state.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo asked a three-judge panel at the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for al-Bashir to prevent the slow deaths of some 2.5 million people forced from their homes in Darfur and still under attack from government-backed janjaweed militia.

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"I am a prosecutor doing a judicial case," Moreno-Ocampo said. He filed 10 charges: three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder. Judges are expected to take months to study the evidence before deciding whether to order al-Bashir's arrest.

It's worth noting that the United States is not a member of the Court, and neither is Sudan. Alleged war criminals don't like to be held accountable for their crimes.

For more on the conflict in Darfur and Luis Moreno-Ocampo, I highly recommend you watch this film, which retails in stores for about $5.99 with proceeds going to organizations involved in stopping this disaster of humanity. You can also visit Not on Our Watch and the Save Darfur coalition for more info, including ways to get involved.