(Washington, DC) - U.S. Rep. Gary L. Ackerman (D-Queen/L.I.), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, today joined a bipartisan effort to encourage the Bush Administration to share with the International Criminal Court (ICC) all the information it has related to the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

“The United States was the first to declare the atrocities in Darfur a genocide, and it is the Administration’s responsibility to support the Court as it develops its case against those who are responsible for these gross crimes against humanity,” said Ackerman. 

On May 2nd, the ICC issued warrants for the arrest of janjaweed leader Ali Muahammad Ai Abd-Al-Rahman and Sudanese Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs Ahmad Harun for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.  These arrest warrants represent concrete steps in ensuring accountability for the atrocities committed in Darfur.  The crimes alleged in both warrants include murder, rape, torture and other inhuman acts.  Since 2003, as many as 450,000 people have died as a result of the genocide in Darfur.  According to reports from the U.N., the violence has affected more than 4.5 million people.  

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