The International Criminal Court is poised to issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir this month in connection with atrocities in his country's Darfur region, a U.S. official said. The court's prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, asked a three-judge panel in July to order al-Bashir's arrest on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
In Washington, a senior U.S. official said the Obama administration expected the arrest warrant "to come down before the end of the month." The New York Times, citing unnamed lawyers and diplomats, reported late Wednesday that judges have decided to issue a warrant.
In response, the court issued a statement Thursday that "no decision has yet been taken by the judges."
Moreno-Ocampo presented evidence alleging al-Bashir has been orchestrating atrocities in Darfur including the widespread rape and murder of civilians in refugee camps.
Meanwhile, United Nations spokeswoman Marie Okabe said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has not been told of any decision by the court.
