Sudanese ruling party: President's indictment could up Darfur violence

By KHARTOUM, SUDAN
Sudanese state TV is carrying a statement from the country's ruling party that predicts the president's expected indictment for crimes against humanity will only push Darfur "into more violence and blood." The statement from President Omar al-Bashir's National Congress Party calls the case against him "irresponsible cheap political blackmail" with no legal basis. The statement was aired on state TV after al-Bashir held an emergency meeting with advisers Sunday. A prosecutor at the International Criminal Court is expected to seek an arrest warrant Monday charging Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir with orchestrating violence in Darfur that has left hundreds of thousands of people dead since 2003.