The Sudanese government has expressed its gratitude to Tanzanian for denouncing the indictment against president Omar al-Bashir by the International Criminal
Court (ICC).
ICC?s prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has applied for an arrest warrant of al-Bashir accusing him of alleged war crimes against humanity. Final ruling on the indicment application is expected soon.
Sudan special adviser to President al-Bashir, Mr Bona Malwal speaking in Arusha on Saturday re-emphased rejection of the ICC request, saying this would cause more political harm in Sudan and regional efforts on peacekeeping initiatives.
He said the ICC warrant to arrest Mr al-Bashir should be interpreted as an abuse to the Sudanese people.
He pointed out that Mr Moreno-Ocampo's request for the warrant shades doubts on the legality and integrity of ICC, arguing that "the request will transform the court into a political
arena".
On his part, the Sudanese ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Abdelbagi Kabeir, blamed western countries and the international media, accusing them of biasness against the situation in Sudan.
He said the western media do not report the truth about Sudan, adding that it discourages peace negotiations and reconciliation in Darfur region.
He challenged African reporters to extend their coverage into rural areas to counter the negative publicity.
Early last week, the Tanzanian Government through the minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Bernard Membe, opposed plans to arrest President al-Bashir.
Mr Moreno-Ocampo alleged Mr al-Bashir was conducting compaign of genocide in Darfur in which about 35,000 people have died and over two million others have been displaced.
