Sudan could be further destabilised, says Egypt

Cairo: Egypt's foreign minister, Ahmad Aboul Gaith, on Tuesday warned of "the danger of irresponsibly approaching the situation in Sudan" and said the indictment risks destabilising the country further.

In defence of Sudan's government, he said "many parties inside and outside Sudan bear responsibility for the suffering of civilians in the region" of Darfur.

He also called for the conflict to be resolved through diplomacy and said an international conference should be held to set out a "road map" and timeline for achieving a political settlement.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met with UN Arab League's envoy to Sudan on Tuesday described the indictment of the country's president on genocide and other charges as a serious blow to peace efforts in Darfur.

The Egyptian diplomat, Salah Halima, told reporters at his office in Cairo that the indictment filed by a prosecutor at the International Criminal Court on Monday will have a negative impact on the stability of a region already beset by internal and cross-border conflict.

Also yesterday, Yemen reacted strongly to the court action, the first Arab nation to publicly come to the defence of the head of Sudan's Arab-dominated government.

Egypt's foreign minister also spoke out in support of Sudan's government and President Omar Al Bashir.