Sudan says seeking U.S. visa for wanted President Bashir
KHARTOUM |
(Reuters) - Sudan confirmed on Tuesday it had applied for a U.S. visa for its president to let him attend the U.N. General Assembly in New York, despite international arrest warrants out against him over charges of masterminding war crimes in Darfur.
Washington earlier said it had received the application, calling the move "deplorable, cynical and hugely inappropriate" due to Omar Hassan al-Bashir's indictment by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
A trip to the United States could be risky for Bashir, who has limited his travel mostly to African neighbors and Arab allies since the court asked member countries to detain him if he entered their territories.
The United States is not a member of the Hague-based ICC so would not be legally bound to hand the president over.
But Washington has led calls for Bashir to face international justice over the bloodshed in the now decade-old conflict in the western region of Darfur.
