CAIRO – Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Darfur, voiced his support Tuesday for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, saying dealing with him will be "much easier".
Trump "focuses on the interests of the American citizen, as opposed to those who talk about democracy, human rights and transparency", al-Bashir said in an interview published by Emirati daily al-Khaleej.
"I am convinced that it will be much easier to deal with Trump than with others because he is a straightforward person and a businessman who considers the interests of those who deal with him," said al-Bashir said, adding that "we can deal with double-faced people but here we have a person with a clear line."
Bashir is wanted by the ICC for alleged atrocities in Darfur. The court issued an arrest warrant for al-Bashir in 2009 for crimes against humanity and war crimes, and added genocide to the charges against him in 2010. He has ruled Sudan since 1989.
In the same interview, Al-Bashir described the ongoing civil disobedience campaign in his country against recent fuel subsidy cuts and subsequent prices hikes as a "complete failure".