On March 4th, the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands issued a warrant for the arrest of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for Crimes Against Humanity related to the continuing crisis in Darfur. Bashir has been in power since a 1989 coup toppled the democratically-elected government, and he has retained the Presidency since appointing himself in 1993. Some neighboring countries and Arab League states have criticized the warrant citing sovereignty issues (which it certainly has), and fearing further instability (though how could it get any worse?). But whether or not an arrest is carried out, Bashir will unlikely remain President beyond elections in April - the first free contest since 1986. These elections will be followed by a 2010 referendum in the Darfur region to decide whether to become an autonomous entity within Sudan, and a 2011 referendum in Southern Sudan - a currently self-governing area in Sudan - to consider full independence.
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