The European Union (EU) on Wednesday asked the Sudanese government and all other parties to the Darfur conflict to fully cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has just issued an arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

"The European Union has taken note of the decision of the International Criminal Court's Pre-Trial Chamber to issue an arrest warrant against Sudan's President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir in connection with alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur," said the Czech Republic, which holds the rotating EU presidency, in a statement.

"The EU reiterates its full support and respect for the International Criminal Court and its key role in the promotion of international justice," said the statement.

The EU urges the government of Sudan and all other parties to the Darfur conflict to cooperate fully with the ICC in order to comply with its obligations under international law and to combat impunity in Darfur, said the statement.

The ICC's registrar Silvana Arbia said on Wednesday that she will send a request to Sudan for cooperation for the arrest and surrender of Bashir.

Such requests will also be sent to all the 108 states parties to the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the ICC, as well as all UN Security Council members that are not party to the statute, she said.

If the Sudanese authorities fail to comply with the arrest warrant, the court may make findings on the non-cooperation and may refer the matter to the UN Security Council, Arbia said.

In its statement, the EU also urged the Sudanese government and the Darfur rebel movements to show restraint in the current situation, to commit themselves to an immediate cessation of hostilities, and to facilitate the continued deployment and the full implementation of the mandate of African Union-UN mission in Darfur.

The EU asked all parties to the conflict to protect the civilian population and to respect human rights as well as the general principles of humanitarian law.

Source:Xinhua