Sudanese President Fights Court's Arrest Warrant

CAIRO (AP) _ Sudan's president is seeking Egypt's help to "delay or halt'' the International Criminal Court from issuing an arrest warrant for his role in suppressing the Darfur rebellion, Sudan's ambassador to Cairo said Sunday.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir traveled to Cairo and held talks with his Egyptian counterpart about Darfur, where a six-year rebellion by ethnic Africans against the Arab-dominated government has claimed 300,000 lives.
Egypt has voiced support for the Sudanese government in the past, warning of instability in Sudan if the Hague-based ICC decides to issue an arrest warrant for al-Bashir.
"The repercussions will be dangerous on Darfur, in particular, and in Sudan in general and on the U.N.-AU peacekeeping forces,'' warned presidential spokesman Suleiman Awwad after the meeting.
He also said that the ICC should distance itself from "politicization and selectivity,'' and noting that a country like Israel should be receiving a similar treatment over its killing of Palestinians during the recent assault on Gaza Strip.
Sudanese ambassador Abdel Moneim Mabrouk told The Associated Press that Egypt wasn't the only country working to stop the court from issuing the warrant.
"Egypt along with other Arab and African countries are working in the Security Council to either delay or halt it,'' he said.
Awwad, however, indicated that those efforts might not be producing much results with the Security Council.
"Talks inside the Security Council are not promising,'' he said.
Al-Bashir's visit to Egypt came one day after he announced release of 24 detainees involved in the Darfur conflict as a goodwill gesture ahead of a new round of peace talks in Qatar with the rebel Justice and Equality Movement.
Fighting erupted in 2003 when ethnic African rebels revolted against the Arab-dominated central government, accusing it of neglect and discrimination. In addition to the death of some 300,000 people, another 2.7 million have been displaced.