Sudan's president thanks Gaddafi

Sudan's leader rejects the ICC charges of war crimes in Darfur

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has visited Libya on his third trip abroad since the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for his arrest.

Mr Bashir, who on Wednesday visited Egypt and on Monday Eritrea, thanked Libya's Col Gaddafi for his support.

Libya is not a signatory to the ICC's charter, which obliges member states to arrest those indicted if they enter their territory.

Sudan's leader is accused of war crimes in his country's Darfur region.

It is unclear if he still plans to attend a 29-30 March Arab summit in Doha, Qatar.

Earlier on Thursday, Mr Bashir's office said he would be visiting Ethiopia, but he flew instead to Libya.

He met Col Muammar Gaddafi in his hometown of Sirte, 500km (300 miles) east of the capital Tripoli, Libyan state news agency Jana reported.

"President Bashir thanked the leader of the revolution... for his solid pro-Sudan positions in regional and international forums, a position that reflects the depth of the relationship between the two brother countries," according to Jana.

Col Gaddafi, who is also the current chairman of the African Union, last month urged the ICC to halt its case against Mr Bashir.

Some two million people have fled their homes in Darfur

On Wednesday, the office of ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo warned that Mr Bashir could not avoid being held to account over the 4 March warrant.

Many African states, along with Sudan's key ally China, have called for the ICC proceedings to be suspended, arguing it will hamper efforts to bring peace to Darfur.

Correspondents say the Sudanese leader has also been emboldened by the 22-member Arab League's decision not to enforce the warrant even though three of its member countries are ICC signatories.