Sudan war crimes suspect re-elected

The National Election Commission urged anyone with complaints to go through legal channels [Reuters]

A Sudanese official wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague on war crimes charges has been re-elected governor of a central state in Sudan, according to the country’s electoral commission.

Ahmed Haroun, the candidate for the ruling National Congress Party, defeated the candidate for the opposition Sudan People’s Liberation Movement [SPLM] by 6,500 votes in an election on Sunday.

That allows him to remain governor of Southern Kordofan state, a post he was appointed to in 2009.

Haroun faces charges of murder, rape and the forced expulsion of civilians in Darfur.

He is a staunch ally of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is also wanted by the Netherlands-based tribunal over the conflict in the western Darfur region.

Fraud allegations

The opposition party said the elections were rigged, but the electoral commission denied the allegation.

The United Nations mission in Sudan said it welcomed the completion of the elections, and said they “were conducted in a peaceful manner monitored by a large number of observers”.

Both the UN and the National Election Commission urged anyone with complaints regarding the election process to address them through legal channels.

The state of South Kordofan borders the south of Sudan and holds most of what will remain of the north’s oil output after the south splits away.

The state is also home to many fighters who sided against the north in a civil war that ended in 2005.