By NNN-KUNA,
Cairo : Foreign ministers of the Arab League member states will hold an emergency meeting here on Saturday, called for by Sudan, to discuss developments between the African country and the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The Kuwaiti delegation is headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, who was already in Cairo for the Joint Kuwaiti-Egyptian Committee.
The foreign ministers are set to discuss the decision of the ICC to detain Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir over claims of war crimes in Darfur, and the impact such a move could have on the situation in the area.
Sheikh Mohammad had said that he discussed the Sudanese issue with his Egyptian counterpart Ahmad Abulgheit on the sidelines of the joint committee meeting on Thursday, and the two sides were on the sound ground in this respect.
The Kuwaiti foreign minister had noted that the ICC’s decision would not put an end to violence in Darfur and warned that it would further complicate issues in Sudan.
He described the ICC move as an “unsuccessful” one, adding that what the Arab states sought was to “protect Sudan from collapsing.” On Monday, the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo accused Al-Bashir of crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur, and the prosecution requested an arrest warrant for him.
A three-judge panel will review the evidence, and if the judges determine that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the named individual committed the alleged crimes, they will decide on the best manner to ensure his appearance in court.
The ICC has reason to believe that Al-Bashir bears criminal responsibility in relation to 10 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.