Arrest warrants for a Sudanese government minister and a janjaweed militia leader suspected of committing war crimes in Darfur, have been issued by the International Criminal Court.

A Sudanese accused of war crimes by the International Criminal Court made his first press appearance in a local newspaper today to profess his innocence.

THE International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor named a Sudanese minister and a militia commander on Tuesday as the first suspects he wants tried for war crimes in Darfur and suggested more may follow.