Sudan angered by genocide claims

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The Sudanese government has responded angrily after an international prosecutor accused President Omar al-Bashir of genocide in Darfur, reports BBC.

Sudan's UN envoy said the International Criminal Court had no jurisdiction in Sudan and that it would not co-operate. Vice-President Ali Osman Taha said the evidence was false and indicated Sudan could try to halt the court's work.

A pro-government rally is due to take place in Khartoum soon and the UN is to begin removing some staff from Darfur.

The United Nations said the decision to pull back some non-essential staff came after recent violence and as a precaution after the genocide accusation.

Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC), an independent body, have still to decide if there are reasonable grounds to issue an arrest warrant against Mr Bashir.

Sudan's president is quoted by Reuters as saying the accusations are lies.

Sudan's ambassador to the UN, Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad, told the BBC that Mr Bashir viewed the charges as a "political statement" and had no intention of co-operating with the ICC.

Sudan's ambassador to the UN rejects the genocide charges.