Thousands rally in Sudan against U.N. court move
A senior European diplomat said on Friday the court'sprosecutor was likely to seek the arrest of President OmarHassan al-Bashir in a case he will open on Monday about warcrimes the ICC say were committed in Sudan's Darfur region.
"With our souls, with our blood we die for Bashir," theprotesters chanted as they marched through the streets ofKhartoum towards the offices of the United Nations.
The state-sponsored protest brought traffic to a standstillin the capital. Hundreds of people also gathered near thecabinet office where the government was holding an emergencymeeting to discuss the issue.
"The ICC does just what the European Union, the UnitedStates of America and Israel tell it to do," the protesterssaid in a statement to be delivered to the U.N. offices.
Sudan has said an ICC move against its top officials couldundermine attempt to end the conflict in Darfur. Two seniorgovernment officials told Reuters Sudan would probably seekChinese, Russian and African support at the United Nations tohelp block a warrant for Bashir.
China is Sudan's largest weapons supplier and dominatesSudan's budding oil industry, which produces more than 500,000barrels per day.
The U.N. Security Council can pass a resolution suspendingan ICC warrant or investigation for 12 months, which can beextended further. However, observers say once Bashir is named,the damage will be done and a suspension will do little toimprove Sudan's relations with the West.
The issue could also pit the demands of the U.N.-backed ICCagainst U.N. interests in deploying a peace force in Darfur --scene of the world's biggest humanitarian operation -- and aidofficials fear a potential backlash.
International experts say at least 200,000 people have diedin Darfur and 2.5 million have been displaced since rebelgroups took up arms against the government in 2003, accusing itof neglect. Khartoum says 10,000 people have been killed.
(Reporting by Opheera McDoom; writing by Alaa Shahine;editing by Andrew Dobbie )