Monday, March 30, 2009

Arab leaders back 'wanted' Bashir


The ICC arrest warrant has been flouted by Sudan's leader



Arab leaders have concluded their annual summit by showing their support for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir who is wanted for war crimes.

The Arab League said it rejected the International Criminal Court's decision to issue a warrant for his arrest.

President Bashir had earlier spoken at the summit in Qatar, and won strong support from his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad.

They were among 17 heads of state in Qatar, but some seats remained empty.

The most notable absentee was President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt. Correspondents say he is unhappy with Qatar's stance during the recent Gaza conflict.

Meanwhile, the BBC's Katya Adler, in Qatar, says earlier reports that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had stormed out of the Arab League summit were incorrect.

'Massacres and atrocities'

"We stress our solidarity with Sudan and our rejection of the ICC (International Criminal Court) decision," a joint statement by the Arab League said at the end of the summit.

Earlier in the day, Syrian President Assad said those who had "committed massacres and atrocities in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon" should be arrested first.

Many African states, along with Sudan's key ally China, have called for the ICC proceedings to be suspended, arguing they will hamper efforts to bring peace to Darfur.

President Bashir attended the summit to thank the leaders for their support.

Qatar has not signed the ICC charter, which obliges a member state to arrest those indicted by the court when they enter its territory

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