'ICC has never done this to any president before'

Khartoum: Southern Sudanese leader Salva Kiir spent most of his life as a guerrilla soldier battling the northern-dominated government of President Omar Al Bashir.

Long before the Darfur conflict in western Sudan captured international attention, southern rebels led by his Sudan People's Liberation Movement, or SPLM, fought a civil war that claimed more than 2 million lives. In 2005, the warring parties signed an accord that turned former combatants into political partners in a unity government.

Now Al Bashir is fighting for his political life as the International Criminal Court (ICC) prepares to issue an arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes committed during the government's counter-insurgency campaign in Darfur.

On the eve of the announcement, Kiir, who serves as president of the semi-autonomous region of southern Sudan as well as national first vice-president, talked about what the ICC case means for Sudan.

You just issued a statement that was very supportive of Al Bashir, calling him "Brother Bashir" and warning the international community against provoking chaos in Sudan. Does that mean you think the ICC case against Al Bashir is a mistake?

Kiir: It's not a mistake. I didn't say it was a mistake. It's something that is looking for justice. The ICC is not indicting the whole country. It's looking for particular people that are accused of crimes against humanity and human-rights violations. These include the president. The issue is that the president is still in office. The ICC has never done this to any president before. Why is it being done for the first time to the president of Sudan? That's the question that everyone is asking.

Do you take it as a sign of disrespect toward Sudan?

I can't answer that question.

Do you think Al Bashir deserves to be prosecuted for war crimes and genocide in Darfur?

It's not my business. I'm not the judge. I cannot be the one to say President Al Bashir has to be questioned or taken to court. He is the president. He is my president. He has all the immunity of any president.

How fragile is Sudan's government right now? Could an arrest warrant lead to its collapse?

The warrant by itself cannot make the government collapse. The government will continue to discharge its duties and functions. The problem will be if there are people who intend to create problems. Whatever the ICC says, we in the government have to act as responsible people and we should not allow ourselves to be carried away by emotion. We must control the situation and protect the rights and property of the people.