Sudan's Al Bashir arrives in Doha for Arab summit

Doha: Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir, who faces an international arrest warrant, arrived on Sunday evening in Doha to take part in the Arab summit which opens on Monday.

The arrival of Al Bashir was not sure until noon on Sunday. However, informed sources told Gulf News earlier that some Arab countries, including Qatar, are keen on Al Bashir's participation, and are making "every effort" for him to attend.

Al Bashir's arrival put an end to speculation about his travel across the international airspace to attend the summit. He has travelled to many of Sudan's neighbouring countries in the past few days.

The arrest warrant against the Sudanese president by the internationl Criminal court over the alledged war crimes in Darfur was rejected by the Sudanese leadership.

It is expected to be high on the agenda of the summit, along with other issues including the future of the peace talks, the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Iranian nuclear issue.

While Al Bashir is attending the summit, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, in a surprise announcment, will stay away from the summit.

No official explanation has been given on this decision. However, anaylsts believe it is a result of inter-Arab differences.