Diplomats boycott Bashir state dinner

ADDIS ABABA, Wednesday

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.