By Opheera McDoom
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters chanting"Down, Down USA!" rallied in Khartoum on Sunday after reportsthat the International Criminal Court (ICC) may seek the arrestof Sudan's president for alleged war crimes.
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 says 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 government-organised protest brought traffic to astandstill. Hundreds of people also gathered near the cabinetoffice where the government was holding emergency talks.
"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.
Sudanese Justice Minister Abdel Basit Sabderat said the ICCwas trying to ignite a fire throughout his country.
"(The) ICC is not just targeting the president of thecountry, but the stability of the Sudanese people because thepresident represents the nation," he told the crowd outside thecabinet office.
Most of the protesters were government workers or fromunions linked to Bashir's dominant National Congress Party(NCP). The demonstration was organised by the NCP's SudaneseStudent Union and other government groups.
Awad Ahmed, 53, a worker from the Agriculture Ministry,said: "The Sudanese people are all rejecting this -- this isAmerica targeting Sudan. We will not send Bashir. We would diefirst."
WEAPONS SUPPLIER
Sudan has said an ICC move against its top officials couldundermine attempts 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 inquiry. Observers say once Bashir is named,this would do little to improve Sudan's relations with theWest.
Sudan's ambassador to the Arab League, Abdel MoneimMabrouk, said he was confident the pan-Arab body, which willhold an emergency meeting to discuss the crisis, would supportSudan.
"We are now mediating in all diplomatic channels to gainsupport ... and to stop this effort by the ICC which is anunprecedented move which will not only harm peace in Sudan butpeace and stability in the whole region," he told Reuters.
An Arab League spokesman said no date had been set for themeeting.
The issue could also pit the demands of the U.N.-backed ICCagainst U.N. interests in deploying a peace force in Darfur andaid officials fear a potential backlash.
The United Nations has heightened security in the capital,evacuating families of staff members, restricting movement andrelocating non-essential staff from Darfur.
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)
(To read a blog on "Is ICC setting its sights too high inSudan?" follow this link:http://blogs.reuters.com/global/2008/07/11/is-icc-setting-its-sights-too-high-in-sudan/)