From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Thu Apr 23 2009 - 22:12:45 EDT
Diplomats boycott Bashir state dinner
ADDIS ABABA, Wednesday
By ARGAW ASHINE, NATION CorrespondentPosted Wednesday, April 22 2009 at
19:00
Western diplomats based in one of the world's largest diplomatic hubs,
Addis Ababa boycotted a dinner party organised by the Ethiopian
government to honour Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir.
President al-Bashir had received a warm welcome from his Ethiopian hosts
on his arrival in Addis Ababa on Tuesday morning for his two-day
official visit.
Al-Bashir was welcomed by Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and many
other African diplomats at Bole international airport but no Western
diplomat or representative showed up.
China, Venezuela Cuba and North Korean ambassadors joined their African
counterparts at the airport to welcome President al-Bashir.
Hundreds of Sudanese living in Ethiopia warmly welcomed the president
both at the airport and at a separate party.
The Ethiopian government hosted a lavish state dinner in honour of
President al-Bashir on Tuesday evening.
Though invited, US and many European diplomats boycotted the state
dinner in protest against Bashir whose arrest is sought by the
International Criminal court over alleged abuse in Sudan's Western
Darfur region.
One Western diplomat told the Nation in Addis Ababa: "It's not fair to
sit for a dinner with a criminal".
During a joint press conference with Mr Meles, President Bashir
dismissed the notion that the arrest warrant could restrict him from
travelling.
"We came to this meeting to show those who said we could not travel
outside Sudan that we can travel outside Sudan," President al-Bashir
told journalists.
The Sudanese leader has visited Egypt, Eritrea, Libya, Qatar, Saudi
Arabia and Ethiopia since the ICC issued an arrest warrant on March 4.
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/africa/-/1066/562878/-/13pfkttz/-/
Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir addresses a news conference in
Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, April 21, 2009. REUTERS
<http://www.nation.co.ke/image/view/-/562880/medRes/74801/-/maxw/600/-/x
g5ym0z/-/AFR12_ETHIOPIA_0421_11.jpg>
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