Darfur war crimes vote 'unjust'

Darfur refugees accused the government of arming the Janjaweed

Sudan's ruling party has called on the government to reject a UN resolution to refer suspects in the Darfur region to The Hague war crimes tribunal.

The National Congress said it "strongly denounces and totally rejects the Security Council's stances and its successive resolutions against Sudan".

A UN report two months ago said attacks on civilians in Darfur could amount to crimes against humanity.

A Darfur rebel leader says he will surrender to the court, if charged.

In a party statement, Information Minister Abdul Basit Sebdarat said the Security Council vote was devoid of "any basis for justice and objectivity and violates the principle of national sovereignty".

The party said such resolutions would only encourage the rebels to reject "all initiatives leading to a peaceful and comprehensive settlement to the problem."

The Sudanese government has officially criticised the Security Council resolution.

"I believe it is unfair, ill-advised and narrow-minded," Foreign Affairs Minister Najeeb al-Kheir Abdul Wahab told Reuters news agency.

'Victory for humanity'

In the past Khartoum has said it would reject war crimes suspects being tried in The Hague, opting for local justice.

These attacks create a climate of fear [in Darfur] UN's Ramiro Lopes da Silva How many deaths in Darfur?

"It undermines the government's quest for justice in Darfur through reconciliation," Mr Kheir Abdul Wahab said.

But the resolution has been welcomed by Darfur's two main rebel groups, with the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) calling it a "victory for humanity".

"I myself personally if my name is on that list or any other member of our movement we are ready to go because we are just fighting for justice," said the SLA's Abdel Wahed Mohamed al-Nur.

International human rights groups also welcomed the vote, but criticised the assurance given to the United States that no US members of any peacekeeping operation would be prosecuted.

'Climate of fear'

Nobody in Sudan knows who is on the UN list of the 51 suspected war criminals to be referred to the ICC.

The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Khartoum says it is thought to include the names of senior government officials, as well as rebels and pro-government Arab militias, known at the Janjaweed.

The Janjaweed are accused of widespread atrocities, including mass rape and killings and looting.

The Sudan government denies charges that it armed the Janjaweed.

The UN says that about 180,000 people have died in the two-year conflict.

Continuing insecurity with attacks on drivers is hampering attempts to deliver food aid to some two million displaced people in Darfur, the UN says.

"These attacks create a climate of fear. The security situation is so bad that many drivers are refusing to move through sections of the roads," the UN World Food Programme's Ramiro Lopes da Silva said.

Last week the Security Council passed a resolution to impose sanctions on anyone who tries to impede the peace process in Darfur.