By Cynthia Johnston CAIRO, July 22 (Reuters) - Sudan has agreed to try anyone it suspects of crimes in Darfur in Sudanese courts and will allow the United Nations, African Union and Arab League to follow the proceedings, an Arab League official said on Tuesday. The move appeared aimed am defusing a crisis over a decision by the International Criminal Court prosecutor to seek an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. But it would be up to Sudan to decide who to try, and Arab League official Hesham Youssef could not say if two Sudanese officials indicted by the ICC last year would face charges. The crisis over the possible indictment has raised fears for the fragile peace process in Africa's biggest state. "Sudan will be continuing its consideration of the violations of human rights and the crimes committed in Darfur," Youssef, chief of staff for Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, told Reuters. "Those who are accused would stand to be tried within this judiciary system," he added. "The individuals that will be facing trial would depend on the investigations that are conducted by the government." The announcement came after Moussa travelled to Khartoum for talks with Sudanese officials over the ICC move following an emergency meeting of Arab League foreign ministers on Saturday. Mostly non-Arab Darfur rebels took up arms in early 2003 accusing the central government of neglect. Khartoum mobilised mostly Arab militia to quell the revolt who now stand accused of atrocities including widespread rape, murder and looting. The ICC accuses Bashir of orchestrating a genocide that has killed 35,000 people outright, at least another 100,000 through slow death, and forced 2.5 million from their homes. Bashir is due to travel to Darfur on Wednesday for a two-day visit, his first trip to the region since the ICC move. SPECIAL COURTS, PROSECUTOR POSSIBLE Youssef said Sudan had also agreed to possibly form special courts on Darfur or to appoint a special prosecutor to more effectively address the Darfur troubles. Sudan had previously formed special courts following a 2005 U.N. Security Council resolution referring Darfur to the ICC, but those trials fizzled out. Youssef said Khartoum had further agreed to allow the United Nations, African Union and Arab League to follow any proceedings to "ensure the legal system in Sudan is comprehensive". "It was agreed that priority would be given to the political resolution of the situation in Darfur as well as the achievement of justice and the establishment of rule of law," Youssef said. "In light of all these steps, it is expected that we would be going to the Security Council to ask the Security Council to defer the process initiated by the ICC," Youssef added. The African Union's Peace and Security Council has also said it would urge the United Nations to invoke powers granted to it by the ICC's charter to delay any warrant for 12 months, which can then be renewed. Darfur rebels accused the African Union of bias for calling for the delay. Khalil Ibrahim, head of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), said his rebel group would no longer recognise AU efforts to mediate a peace process. Sudan had previously hoped to deflect the ICC's investigation on the grounds that the court cannot retry suspects who have had a fair trial in their own country. But it did not bring charges against either State Minister for Humanitarian Affairs Ahmed Haroun or militia leader Ali Kushayb, who were both indicted by the ICC last year. Western diplomats in New York have said a deal could be struck to drop or suspend the warrant for Bashir if he agreed to hand over Haroun and Kushayb. Sudan has rejected any such deal.
A woman takes part in a demonstration by voluntary agencies and civil society organizations supporting Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir outside the U.N. offices in Khartoum, July 22, 2008. The African ...
