Sudan formally asked the Arab League on Saturday to hold an emergency meeting of foreign ministers after reports the International Criminal Court's (ICC) prosecutor may seek the arrest of Sudan's president.
A senior European diplomat said on Friday the ICC's prosecutor would likely seek President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's arrest in a new Darfur war crimes case he will open on Monday.
Sudan has said any such move could undermine the Darfur peace process. Two senior government officials told Reuters Sudan would likely seek Chinese, Russian and African support at the United Nations to help block any warrant for Bashir.
The issue could also pit the demands of the U.N.-backed ICC against U.N. interests in deploying a peace force in Darfur - home to the world's largest humanitarian operation - and aid officials fear a potential backlash.
Sudan's main rebel groups, who have also been accused of rights abuses, said on Saturday any ICC arrest warrant for Bashir would be a triumph for justice, and pledged to hand over their own commanders if sought by the court.
An Arab League spokesman said Sudan had submitted a written request to convene a meeting of Arab foreign ministers, and that League Secretary General Amr Moussa was working on the issue.
"Amr Moussa is in Paris and is consulting with Arab foreign ministers for an extraordinary meeting of the council of foreign ministers," Arab League spokesman Abdel-Alim al-Abyad said. The officials are in France for a summit of European Union and Mediterranean leaders.
Egypt's state news agency MENA said Sudan wanted the meeting "to look into the situation between Sudan and the International Criminal Court." The Cairo-based Arab League said it was still too early to say when or where such a meeting would take place.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is in Paris for the Mediterranean summit, spoke by telephone on Saturday with Bashir, U.N. officials said. But they could not confirm a report by Sudan TV that Ban had expressed "huge concern" over the ICC move and expressed readiness to "contain" it.
Ban has repeatedly said the ICC is an independent body. Sudan TV, monitored by the BBC, said Bashir told Ban that Sudan would "seriously deal with the move by the ICC prosecutor." It did not elaborate.
DARFUR VIOLENCE
