The chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court has accused Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir of "exterminating" refugees by expelling international aid agencies. Luis Moreno-Ocampo said that by blocking aid the president was attacking the civilians in the giant camps that dot Darfur.
He called for President Bashir to be arrested as soon as he leaves Sudan. The president is due to attend this month's Arab League summit in Qatar. Moreno-Ocampo said that he would work for the arrest of President Bashir as soon as he leaves Sudan.
Judges at the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest on war crimes charges earlier this month. Moreno-Ocampo said that entering international airspace would be enough, since U.N. Security Council resolution 1583 urges all U.N. members to cooperate with the court.
Qatar, which invited President Bashir to the Arab League summit, has not signed the statute that brought the ICC into being. Some Sudanese leaders, concerned about the president's safety, have urged him not to visit the annual Arab summit, due to start at the end of the month.
Former Sudanese president Siwar Al-Dahab urged President Bashir to exercise "patience and wisdom" and not risk traveling to Qatar "for his safety and the safety of Sudanese people".
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