Sudan: The ICC's Bold Move Against Al Bashir

The International Criminal Court sought a warrant on July 14 for the arrest of Sudanese President Omar al Bashir, charging him with carrying out genocide and war crimes in the Darfur region. The court’s first prosecution of a sitting chief of state amounts to a test of its international credibility. If the countries participating in the ICC accept the court's position and take concrete actions against Sudan’s leader, the court will receive a significant boost to its power and reputation. If ICC backers ignore the court’s allegations, however, the court’s credibility will suffer and it will begin dwindling into a merely symbolic role — or something less.