Sudan leader visits Eritrea despite arrest warrant

KHARTOUM, Sudan - Sudan’s president traveled to Eritrea on Monday, choosing one of Africa’s most politically isolated nations for his first trip abroad since an international court sought his arrest on charges of war crimes in Darfur.

The one-day visit followed Eritrea’s official invitation to Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir, who faces the arrest warrant by the Netherlands-based International Criminal Court.

Eritrean television showed live coverage of al-Bashir being greeted at the airport in the Eritrean capital Asmara by his counterpart President Isaias Afwerki, along with drummers and dancers. Sudanese state television later Monday showed live images of al-Bashir returning to Khartoum.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Deng Alor said the visit was “important” and reflected Eritrean “solidarity ... with Sudan against the ICC.” Eritrean Information Minister Ali Abdu told The Associated Press that al-Bashir was accompanied by heads of security and intelligence and was there to discuss regional security.

The ICC charged al-Bashir on March 4 of leading a counterinsurgency against Darfur rebels that involved rapes, killings and other atrocities against civilians. His government has been accused of unleashing Arab militiamen known as janjaweed against Darfur civilians in a drive to put down a revolt by ethnic Africans in the region.

Up to 300,000 people have died and 2.7 million driven from their homes in the conflict since 2003, according to the U.N.