Bashir calls for Darfur rebels to lay down arms

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir called on Wednesday for Darfur rebels to lay down their arms, during a visit to the conflict-torn region where he stands accused of war crimes, as U.S. President Barack Obama is due to name his special envoy to Sudan to confront what Washington sees as a "horrendous" situation in Darfur.

Vowing to develop the region that has been prey to six years of conflict and decades of neglect, Bashir addressed thousands of jubilant militiamen two weeks after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest.

"We want to reunify the people of Darfur and we call on all our sons and brothers who bear arms to put them down," Bashir said on his second visit to Darfur since the warrant was issued.

"Our response (to the ICC) is to bring electricity to Darfur, more buildings, schools, water, more hospitals. We want a reunification of the people of Darfur."

"It's not the U.S. or Britain who chooses the president of Sudan but the Sudanese people," Bashir thundered against two of the countries he sees as the driving force behind his arrest warrant.

Thousands welcome Bashir

Bashir arrived by helicopter in the village of Sabdo near the South Darfur town of al-Daien, a day after a peacekeeper with the joint U.N.-African Union force in Darfur was killed in the area in an ambush by unknown gunmen.

Thousands of jubilant militiamen on foot and horseback welcomed the veteran Sudanese leader.

"We are all Rizaygat (a Muslim Arab tribe), we are all from the popular defense forces," militiaman Ahmed al-Hassan told AFP.

"We support the government and we'll cut the throat of Ocampo," he said, referring to the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, who instigated Bashir's prosecution at The Hague-based court.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned on Tuesday that Bashir will be responsible for "every single death" caused by the expulsion of 13 foreign aid groups from Sudan.

"This is a horrendous situation that is going to cause untold misery and suffering for the people of Darfur, particularly those in the refugee camps," Clinton said of Sudan's decision to expel the aid groups earlier this month.

Just days after the warrant was issued on March 4 and his government's decision to expel 13 aid agencies, Bashir travelled to the North Darfur capital of el-Fasher in what was seen as a show of defiance over mounting Western criticism. On that visit, he warned peacekeepers and aid groups to obey Sudanese law or face expulsion.

It's not the U.S. or Britain who chooses the president of Sudan but the Sudanese people

Sudanese President Omar bashir

Held responsible for deaths

"The real question is what kind of pressure can be brought to bear on President Bashir and the government in Khartoum to understand that they will be held responsible for every single death that occurs in those camps," she told reporters.

An administration official said separately that President Obama had chosen retired Air Force General Scott Gration, a close friend who is knowledgeable about African issues, as his special envoy to Sudan. An announcement could be come as soon as Wednesday, the official said.

Gration, who sometimes traveled with Obama on the campaign trail last year, had expertise on African issues and was also versed in the operational requirements of training peacekeepers and of airlift capabilities.

Gration, a Swahili speaker who grew up in Africa, got to know then senator Obama in 2006 when they traveled together to visit Darfur refugees in camps in Chad.

International experts say at least 200,000 people have been killed in Sudan's western Darfur region, while Bashir's government says 10,000 have died. The conflict, which has displaced more than 2.7 million people, flared when mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms against the government in 2003.

President Bashir and the government in Khartoum to understand that they will be held responsible for every single death that occurs in those camps

U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton

Pressing Bashir to reverse course

The United States made concerted recent efforts to convince the Arab League, the African Union and others such as China with influence over Sudan, to press Bashir to reverse course.

In a meeting last week with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, President Barack Obama expressed his "deep concern" about the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Darfur and asked Beijing to put pressure on Sudan's government.

Many African and Arab governments say the International Criminal Court's move was counter-productive and hypocritical in that it failed to tackle alleged war crimes by Israel against Arabs, or by the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The United States, while not a member of the court, supported the decision to go after Bashir, who was indicted on seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity but not for genocide.

Earlier this month, Clinton said the Sudanese leader could "have his day in court" to prove his innocence. The United States does not support any deferral of the international court's arrest warrant.