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Outrage at Malawi's refusal to arrest Bashir

Malawi's refusal to arrest Sudanese president, Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted for war crimes in Darfar, has sparked international condemnation.

Bashir arrived in Malawi for a trade summit on Thursday.

Human rights groups and the European Union have urged Malawi, a signatory to the ICC, to arrest Bashir. An arrest warrant was issued for Bashir, by the International Criminal court, in 2008.

In a statement released on Friday, EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, said,

"The European Union is a staunch supporter of the ICC and the fight against impunity."

"The Court is a valuable instrument of the international community to ensure that there is no impunity for the most serious crimes of international concern: genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes must not go unpunished and their prosecution must be ensured by measures at both domestic and international level,"

Human Rights Watch's, international justice senior counsel, Elise Keppler, warned Malawi of its responsibility as an ICC signatory,

"Al-Bashir is an international fugitive wanted on charges of genocide and other heinous crimes committed in Darfur. As an International Criminal Court member, Malawi should arrest him, not host him."

However, officials in Malawi have dismissed such criticisms.

Malawi's informations minister, Patricia Kallati, said,

"He's coming for business and we don't have any business to do with the arrest of President Omar. We are very honoured to have these heads of state."

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