Minister opposes arrest of Sudan president Omar al-Bashir

2008-09-04 15:38:02 - THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - Sudan's foreign minister says his country could be plunged further into turmoil if the International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir on genocide and war crimes charges. Deng Alor says peace efforts in Sudan's war-ravaged Darfur region and a peace agreement that ended a long war in the country's south could unravel if the court orders al-Bashir's arrest. In July, ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo asked judges to issue an arrest warrant for al-Bashir. Prosecutors allege al-Bashir leads a campaign of genocide in Darfur. Judges are expected to announce their decision within weeks. Alor was speaking to reporters in The Hague on Thursday after meeting his Dutch counterpart, Maxime Verhagen.