Sudan’s President Omar al Bashir denounced moves to prosecute him for war crimes as an "infringement" on his country's sovereignty.
 
"The ICC warrant is an action aimed at isolating Sudan and eventually fragmenting and dividing our country," Bashir told a summit of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMSA) in Zimbabwe.
 
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has issued an arrest warrant for Bashir on war crimes and crimes against humanity in his country's Darfur region. But he calls the charges a "falsity".
 
“The people of Sudan have a desire to live in peace and harmony. However, this has been impeded by foreign interference, ... by people arming rebels in Darfur," he said. “We are going to overcome such designs."
 
Since the court officially accused him of atrocities, the defiant Bashir has travelled to several countries trying to gain regional support against the ICC. None of the countries are party to the court, including Zimbabwe, which says it has no duty to arrest him.
 
On Monday, Bashir said Sudan is committed to African solidarity for social and economic development on the continent. But the ICC warrant “is an action aiming at isolating Sudan from its regional sphere," he added.
         
Darfur's conflict started in 2003 when rebels took up arms against Khartoum claiming they had been neglected by the central government. Khartoum violently quashed the now much-divided rebels with troops and allied militias.
 
The UN estimates that the conflict killed an estimated 300,000 and uprooted millions of Darfuri''s. Khartoum puts the death toll at 10,000.