(Correcting title in paragraph 9 to State Minister)
By Opheera McDoom
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan on Thursday rejected a deal withthe International Criminal Court to hand over two indictedofficials in exchange for dropping the court's arrest warrantfor President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.
ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo sought an arrestwarrant for Bashir on Monday on suspicion of genocide, warcrimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, a move that somepowers fear could derail the fragile Darfur peace process.
"There will be no direct cooperation with the InternationalCriminal Court and no sending any Sudanese citizens to TheHague," presidential adviser Mustafa Osman Ismail told a forumon Thursday.
The decision to refer Darfur to the ICC came from the U.N.Security Council so any proposal to resolve the crisis shouldalso come from there, he said.
ICC judges are expected to decided in October or Novemberwhether to issue a warrant for Bashir's arrest.
Ocampo asked the ICC for the warrant, accusing Bashir of acampaign of genocide in which 35,000 people were killedoutright, at least 100,000 more died a "slow death" and 2.5million were forced to flee their homes in Sudan's westernDarfur region.
Sudan has asked Russia, China and members of the ArabLeague and the African Union to help it pursue a SecurityCouncil resolution suspending a warrant for Bashir for 12months.
Diplomats in New York say the Arab League and the AU'sPeace and Security Council are expected to call on the SecurityCouncil soon to block any ICC moves in the interests ofbringing peace to Darfur, devastated by the five-year-oldconflict.
Western diplomats in New York have said a deal could bestruck to drop or suspend the warrant for Bashir if he agreedto hand over Humanitarian Affairs State Minister Ahmed Harounand militia leader Ali Kushayb, indicted by the ICC last year.
A senior Sudanese government official, agreeing withIsmail's stand, ruled out a deal. "This is non-negotiable," theofficial told Reuters. "Any talks will be held within thedeclared position of Sudan."
ARAB AND AFRICAN SUPPORT
Sudan is likely to get both Arab and African support at theUnited Nations. AU officials have expressed concern that theICC's first four cases have all focused on Africa.
Only about 2,000 people attended the latest in a series ofdemonstrations against the ICC in Khartoum on Thursday, but forthe first time senior government officials addressed the crowd.
Bashir's top adviser, Nafie Ali Nafie, told the rally: "Thecourt will not find any respect from anyone in Sudan."
The protests have been organised by Bashir's rulingNational Congress Party (NCP), but opposition politicians andother Sudanese have also expressed concern the ICC action couldbe at odds with the causes of peace and justice in Sudan.
The United Nations strengthened security before the ICCannouncement, withdrawing non-essential staff from Darfur andevacuating families from Khartoum in case of a backlash.
On Wednesday, an officer from the joint U.N.-African Unionpeacekeeping mission (UNAMID) was shot dead in a carjacking inWest Darfur.
Just north of that attack, in Beida town, the aid agencyTearfund's premises were broken into and staff were beaten byarmed men, the agency said.
The attackers stole communications equipment, laptops,cash, personal effects and a vehicle, Tearfund's acting countrydirector Jane Petty said.
"Two national staff were very badly beaten trying to defendthe one (expatriate) lady" in the base, she said, adding thatthe agency had suspended all operations in the southwest andrelocated all its staff.
(Additional reporting by Patrick Worsnip in New York)
(Editing by Tim Pearce)
