[18 July 2008]

SANA'A, July 18 (Saba) - Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi headed Friday to the Egyptian capital Cairo to take part in the emergency meeting of the Arab League Foreign Ministers' Council meeting.

Speaking to Saba, al-Qirbi said that the meeting to be held on Saturday at the headquarters of the Arab League was asked by Sudanese government.

"The Arab foreign ministers will discuss the move the Dutch-based International Criminal Court (ICC) against Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir", said al-Qirbi, affirming that the Arab officials would adopt a unified Arab resolution to the ICC announcement.

Al-Qirbi confirmed that Yemen had condemned the ICC announcement, calling the indictment a grave and unacceptable interference in Sudan's internal affairs.

Sudan rejected a deal with the ICC to hand over two indicted officials in exchange for dropping the court's arrest warrant for President al-Bashir.

ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo however ruled out dropping his call for a warrant for Bashir on suspicion of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, a move that some powers fear could derail peace efforts there.

YA

Saba