South African President Thabo Mbeki said Saturday he will travel soon to Sudan for talks with his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Beshir about a possible arrest warrant against him over Darfur.
International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo last month requested a warrant be issued against Beshir over charges of war crimes in Sudan's war-torn western region of Darfur.
The African Union and the Arab League have called on the United Nations Security Council to defer any move for a year and warned against the risks of further chaos in the conflict-ridden country.
The UN Security Council says it "will continue to engage one another with matters related to the international court. That's a good thing," Mbeki said after a meeting with Sudanese presidential envoy Mustafa Ismail in Pretoria on Saturday.
It is "critically important to move on this matter," South African media quoted Mbeki as saying.
South Africa and Libya on Monday submitted a proposal to the UN supporting a 12-month delay in efforts to indict Beshir. However the UN has said it cannot interfere in the work of the ICC, which is independent.
Mbeki has said Beshir's continued presence as head of state is required to assist Sudan's general post-civil war security.
