Special Report: Sudan National Reconcilation

    RIYADH, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) Abdul Rahman Al-Attiya said Monday in a statement that its members are opposed to the "double standards" of the International Criminal Court (ICC) accusations against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

    The GCC, which groups United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, supports all the efforts and measures taken by the Sudanese government to protect its national sovereignty and integrity and to maintain peace and stability in Darfur, said the statement.

    The GCC, headquartered in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, expressed disappointment over the ICC's accusations against Bashir, saying the ICC should not exceed international law guidelines by making judicial accusations that carry double standards.

    The ICC, in its claimed principle of peace and justice, should have dealt with all the world's conflicts in violation of humanitarianism, such as Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories and its continuous attacks on the Palestinians, said the statement.

    Also Monday, Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Kurbi said the ICC accusation against Bashir violated Sudan's sovereignty and interfered in the country's domestic affairs in disregard of international laws.

    The ICC's move could further complicate the situation in Darfur and put at risk the security and stability in the region and Sudan at large, Kurbi said.

    The Hague-based ICC's Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo formally requested an arrest warrant last week against al-Bashir for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. The U.N. has said around 300,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced as a result of fighting between rebels and government-backed militia groups.

    Last week, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sought to stress the independence of the ICC and called on Sudan's government to guarantee the safety of the 16,000 UN workers operating in the country. Ban also said peace without justice "cannot be sustainable."

    Sudan, which is not a member of the ICC, has rejected the ICC allegations, dismissing them as "null and false" and maintaining the ICC has no jurisdiction over Sudan.