War-crimes court accuses Sudanese president

The International Criminal Court today issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on war crimes charges in Darfur.

But the three-judge panel in The Hague said there was insufficient evidence to accused him of genocide.

A court spokeswoman said: “He is suspected of being criminally responsible ... for intentionally directing attacks against an important part of the civilian population of Darfur, Sudan, murdering, exterminating, raping, torturing and forcibly transferring large numbers of civilians, and pillaging their property.”

Al-Bashir is the first sitting head of state ordered arrested by the court since it started work in 2002.