ICC prosecutor to present Darfur probe findings next year

The International Criminal Court's prosecutor said on Thursday he would submit evidence of war crimes committed in the Sudanese region of Darfur to the court's judges by February.

ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo has been investigating persecution, torture, rape and murder allegations in the war-torn region since June last year and told the UN Security Council he believed there was sufficient evidence to prove crimes against humanity and war crimes had been committed.

His investigation focuses on a series of incidents in 2003 and 2004, considered the period when the most serious crimes were committed in Darfur.

"My office cannot investigate all the alleged criminal incidents and prosecute all the alleged perpetrators of the crimes in Darfur," he told the Security Council.

"I have therefore focused on the most serious incidents and the individuals responsible for those incidents," he said.

His investigation had conducted more than 70 missions to 17 countries, screened hundreds of potential witnesses and taken more than 100 formal witness statements, he said.

The ICC is considered a court of last resort and is authorized to judge war crimes and crimes against humanity if national jurisdictions lack the will or ability to do so.

Ocampo's job is to present his findings to the court's judges, who will then determine whether or not to issue arrest warrants and indictments based on his recommendations and evidence.

Ocampo said a number of requests for documents and interviews from the Sudanese government remained outstanding but that he would continue to seek the information.

The Arab Janjaweed militia are accused of the worst violence in Darfur, including genocidal attacks targeting civilians of black African origin. The UN estimates some 200,000 people have been killed and another 2.5 million displaced since 2003.

Outgoing UN emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland last month warned that the Darfur conflict could spiral out of control and lead to regional escalation, and Ocampo stressed that conditions were getting worse.