Arab League condemns ICC prosecutor

CAIRO, July 20 (UPI) -- Arab League foreign ministers issued a statement after an emergency meeting Saturday opposing war crimes charges against the president of Sudan.

The meeting in Cairo was called after the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo, asked the court to issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, the BBC reported. No warrant has yet been issued.

"The council decides solidarity with the Republic of Sudan in confronting schemes that undermine its sovereignty, unity and stability and their non-acceptance of the unbalanced, not objective position of the prosecutor general of the Internal Criminal Court," the ministers said in a resolution.

Amr Moussa, the league's secretary-general, said he would visit Khartoum Sunday to discuss the league's plans with Sudanese officials. The ministers would not release details.

The attacks in the Darfur region by government-backed militias have become a cause among political figures and celebrities around the world. But the ICC has been condemned by most African and Arab leaders since Ocampo's announcement.