Omar al-Bashir is starting the week well

It’s been a a nice several days for Sudanese president and International Criminal Court indictee Omar al-Bashir.  On Sunday, he traveled to Chad for the swearing in of president Idriss Deby. Chad is an ICC member, and the international court insists that the country has a legal obligation to arrest Bashir (Chad and other African ...

By , a professor at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies.

It's been a a nice several days for Sudanese president and International Criminal Court indictee Omar al-Bashir.  On Sunday, he traveled to Chad for the swearing in of president Idriss Deby. Chad is an ICC member, and the international court insists that the country has a legal obligation to arrest Bashir (Chad and other African states argue, on fairly weak grounds, that they have no such obligation). That visit barely caused a ripple, and that itself was a victory for Bashir, who is working assiduously to avoid international isolation.

It’s been a a nice several days for Sudanese president and International Criminal Court indictee Omar al-Bashir.  On Sunday, he traveled to Chad for the swearing in of president Idriss Deby. Chad is an ICC member, and the international court insists that the country has a legal obligation to arrest Bashir (Chad and other African states argue, on fairly weak grounds, that they have no such obligation). That visit barely caused a ripple, and that itself was a victory for Bashir, who is working assiduously to avoid international isolation.

Today there was more good news. Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi arrived in Khartoum, and he came bearing gifts: specifically an interest-free loan and broad support to the government. Via Agence France Presse:

Yang, who is on a two-day visit to Khartoum, said his country would assist Sudan in building up its key economic sectors.

"China is ready to help Sudan in developing its existing oil fields and production. At the same time, we are willing to develop our cooperation in agriculture and other sectors, such as mining, bridge and road building, and communications," he said.

A key ally of Sudan, which has suffered from US economic sanction since 1997, the rising world power is also a major military supplier to the regime in Khartoum, as well as one the largest foreign investors and the biggest buyers of Sudanese oil.

Yang offered Sudan a 100 million yuan ($15.5 million) interest-free loan during his visit, according to Karti. He was due to meet President Omar al-Bashir later on Monday.

The high-level visit comes on the heels of Bashir’s trip in late June to Beijing, where he was received with full honors.

David Bosco is a professor at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies. He is the author of The Poseidon Project: The Struggle to Govern the World’s Oceans. Twitter: @multilateralist

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