Australia promises support to Sudan war crimes bid
Updated
Australia says it will support the actions of the International Criminal Court if it chooses to indict the president of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, over the conflict in Darfur.
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has asked its judges at The Hague to issue a warrant for the arrest of the president.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo says evidence shows the president masterminded and implemented a plan to destroy a number of ethnic groups when they rebelled against the government.
He says the evidence justifies ten counts against him of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Australia's foreign minister, Stephen Smith says the deployment of Australian peace keeping troops to Darfur may be delayed again if there's a violent response to the indictment.
And he's urging Australians in Sudan to get in touch with authorities, in case the situation deteriorates.
"We are of course very concerned that situation may deteriorate even worse, and we're urging all Australians who are currently registered in the area to contact our officials so that we're aware of their presence and we can keep an eye out for their safety and welfare," he said.
