VP Ali Osman Mohamed Taha will announce Sudan's stance over ICC's decision at a press conference 8 p.m. local time

From China View (KHARTOUM) March 4 2009 (Xinhua) --
Sudanese take to the streets in protest of ICC decision

Thousands of Sudanese on Wednesday held a rally at the capital's Council of Ministers in response to the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court's (ICC) to President Omar al-Bashir earlier in the day.

The majority of the rally are the country's civil servants, an organizer at the scene told Xinhua.

Witnesses said security was beefed up around foreign embassies while the protestors took to the streets of the capital.

Meanwhile, Sudanese Ministry of Information said that Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha will announce Sudan's stance over the ICC's decision at a press conference at 8 p.m. local time.

The ICC on Wednesday issued an arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the country's restive western region of Darfur.

The genocide accusation, filed by the court's prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, was not included in the final decision.

Earlier on Tuesday, President al-Bashir vowed that any decision to be issued by the ICC will not affect his country.

"The Sudanese people do not care the decision," he said. Editor: Mu Xuequan