Sudan and the International Criminal Court signed a cooperation deal Thursday as one step further towards ex-dictator Omar al-Bashir facing trial for genocide in the Darfur conflict. ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan, who described the Darfur civil war as a "dark chapter" in Sudan's history, said plans were underway for The Hague-based ICC to open an office in Sudan to collect further evidence to "build a solid case".

Bashir, 77, has been wanted by the ICC for more than a decade over charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Sudanese region. Two other former aides are also wanted to face war crimes charges. The United Nations says 300,000 people were killed and 2.5 million displaced in the Darfur conflict, which erupted in the vast western region in 2003. Sudan has been led since August 2019 by a transitional civilian-military administration, that has vowed to bring justice to victims of crimes committed under Bashir.

On Thursday, Khan told reporters in Khartoum that he was "pleased to report" the transitional government had signed "a new memorandum of understanding with my office, that includes all individuals against whom warrants of arrest have been issued by the ICC". Bashir, who ruled Sudan with an iron fist for three decades before being deposed amid popular protests in 2019, is behind bars in Khartoum's high security Kober prison.

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