International court expected to issue arrest warrant for Sudan leader

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is expected by diplomats to charge Sudan's president with genocide and crimes against humanity today, when he reveals details of a probe into atrocities in Darfur.

In an indication of the fury that could be unleashed if Omar al-Bashir is charged with orchestrating a five-year reign of terror in Darfur, his ruling National Congress Party yesterday warned of "more violence and blood" in the vast western region if an arrest warrant was issued against the president, state TV reported.

Mr Al-Bashir huddled with Cabinet ministers and advisers in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, considering their response to any charges. Sudan has also asked the Arab League for an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers.

Outside the meeting, hundreds of Sudanese demonstrated in support of Mr al-Bashir, who seized power in a 1989 coup. Others held signs ridiculing the ICC and its prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo of Argentina. "Ocampo is a plotter against Sudan's people", one banner read.

Mr Moreno-Ocampo has refused to respond to the speculation, saying only that he will present his evidence to judges in the Netherlands today. A three-judge panel at the Hague-based court will then study it before deciding whether to issue an arrest warrant.

There are also fears that the fresh Darfur case could spark a backlash against the 9,000-strong United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur. It was the UN Security Council that in March 2005 asked Mr Moreno-Ocampo to investigate crimes in Darfur.

The court, which started work six years ago, has never issued charges against a sitting head of state. Other international courts have previously indicted Serb leader Slobodan Milosevic and Charles Taylor of Liberia while they were in office.

Whoever Mr Moreno-Ocampo names as a suspect today is unlikely to be sent to The Hague any time soon however, as Sudan rejects the court's jurisdiction and refuses to arrest suspects.

In a case announced last year, Mr Moreno-Ocampo charged government minister Ahem Muhammad Harden and Ail Cushy, a commander of the government-backed janjaweed militia, with 51 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity including murder, rape and forced expulsions.

Despite the charges, Harun is still the minister in charge of humanitarian aid in Darfur and Mr Moreno-Ocampo says the government's refusal to arrest him indicates its complicity in attacks on some of the 2.5 million civilians that are believed to have been forced out of their homes and into camps.

The prosecutor has indicated he is aiming for the top leadership of the Sudanese government, accusing them of sponsoring the janjaweed militias blamed for most atrocities in Darfur.

Up to 300,000 people have died and more than 2.5 million have been displaced since the conflict began in early 2003.