TheCable

President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan has arrived his country after failed attempts by the international criminal court (ICC) to arrest him in South Africa.

He was recieved by his ministers amid cheers from supporters. He  waved his cane in the air as he stepped off the presidential jet in the capital, Khartoum, and chanted: “God is greatest!”.

al-Bashir flew in from South Africa after escaping arrest on genocide and war crimes charges.

South Africa’s government failed to enforce a court order preventing him from leaving until judges ruled on whether he should be transferred to the ICC to stand trial.

According to BBC, he left the country after the South African court hearing the case for his arrest adjourned for an hour.

“Omar al-Bashir left his hotel in a black BMW and headed to Waterkloof. Final clearance has been given. Meaning he can take off at any moment,” a BBC correspondent said.

“The jet of Sudan’s president Omar al-Bashir took off a few minutes ago from a military airbase in South Africa’s capital Pretoria.

“A diplomatic source has confirmed that Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir has just left the country for Khartoum.”

The aircraft conveying the Sudanese leader

Photo credit: Alet Pretorius/Beeld/Netwerk24

South Africa’s high court subsequently ruled that he was in contempt of court when he flew out of the country – and it wants him arrested.

It also said the failure of South Africa’s authorities to prevent him from leaving was “inconsistent” with the constitution.

The court ordered the government to file an affidavit explaining how al-Bashir left the country in defiance of a court order.

But Sudan’s foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour told Reuters that South African government described al-Bashir as a source of “pride” at the Africa Union summit.

On Saturday, a high court in Pretoria ruled  that he should remain in South Africa until a final ruling was made on whether he should be transferred to the ICC to stand trial for genocide and war crimes.

South Africa’s government challenged the court’s decision, saying the government had given immunity to him and all the delegates attending the ongoing summit in Johannesburg.

Following the pressure on South African authorities to detain him, his aircraft was reportedly flown from the airport to an airforce base where he took off.