Government spokesperson Phumla Williams says the reasons for the appeal is contained in an affidavit that will be submitted to court soon. Last week, the Pretoria High Court requested the National Director of Public Prosecutions to consider initiating criminal charges over al-Bashir’s departure from South Africa in defiance of a high court order prohibiting it.
The South African government has been internationally and locally criticized for allowing the departure as al-Bashir has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The charges relates his government’s offensive in south Sudan. Two warrants of arrest were issued against him in 2009 and 2010.