 Nigeria on Wednesday proposed a new African panel to hear cases of atrocities in Sudan's Darfur region in apparent opposition to European calls for trying cases before the International Criminal Court (ICC). The surprise memorandum from Nigeria, which holds the African Union presidency, came days before the UN Security Council plans a vote on a resolution on Sudan that seeks to impose targeted sanctions on individuals involved in the Darfur conflict and specify where to try perpetrators of atrocities. The Nigerian note, addressed to the European Union, proposed an "African panel for criminal justice and reconciliation" to prosecute those suspected of war crimes in Darfur and also to provide for reconciliation. It said the proposal enjoyed "the support of the government of Sudan." |