Malawi forced to cancel hosting AU summit next month

Khartoum - Malawi has been forced to cancel hosting of an African Union (AU) summit next month after the continental body insisted that the South African nation allows Sudan's President Omer Al-Bashir to attend.

Al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide he allegedly masterminded in his country's western region of Darfur.

Malawi, which is a member state of the Hague-based tribunal, asked the AU in May not to invite Al-Bashir to the summit, citing fears of economic consequences after the country was denied $350 million in US aid money over reasons including its decision to host the Sudanese leader at a regional summit in the capital Lilongwe last year.

Kachali Khumbo, Malawi's Vice-President, said on Friday that his country had received a letter from the AU saying that it had no right to dictate who can attend the summit.

According to Khumbo, the letter stated that the summit would be moved to the AU headquarters in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa if Lilongwe insists on barring Al-Bashir.

As a result, "the [Malawian] cabinet has decided not to host the summit" he declared.

Khumbo contended that "much as Malawi has obligations to the AU, it has also other obligations."

Sudan has already protested Malawi's refusal to host Al-Bashir and on Thursday demanded that the summit be moved to Addis Ababa.

The AU has issued several resolutions ordering its members not to cooperate with the ICC regarding Bashir's warrant.

Already countries such as Malawi, Kenya, Chad and Djibouti have allowed Bashir to visit without arresting him though the first two later refused to receive him again.

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