Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir could return to South Africa this year for a talk shop, President Jacob Zuma said on Tuesday.

Sudan was a member of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (Focac), which South Africa would host in December, Zuma told reporters in Pretoria.

“As such, it is expected that the Sudanese government will participate in Focac.”

He said the government was studying the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) order issued on September 4.

The court gave South Africa until October 5 to explain its failure to arrest Bashir when he was in Johannesburg for an African Union Summit in June.

“We will then make a determination as to the next course of action, if any,” Zuma said.

The ICC had issued a warrant of arrest for Bashir and wanted him to stand trial on charges of war crimes and genocide.

The ICC’s order referred to government’s “failure to arrest and surrender” Bashir, a three-judge bench said, AFP reported earlier this month.

On Monday, June 15, the High Court in Pretoria ordered the government to arrest Bashir and said its failure to do so was unconstitutional.

Despite this, Bashir was allowed to leave the country.

Zuma said the Bashir matter was still before the country’s courts and thus sub judice. News24