Botswana condemns an African Union resolution not to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in its indictment of Sudan's president. The country says it was not properly discussed at last week's summit.

The criticism was the strongest from an African country since the resolution in favor of Sudanese President Omar Hassan al Bashir at the summit chaired by Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi.

"The chair did not permit much debate on this matter and therefore we did not get an opportunity to put our opinion across," Botswana's vice president, Mompati Merafhe, said in a speech posted on the presidency website.

"It is our view that Africa should not try to undermine the work of the ICC simply because one head of state called Bashir has been indicted by the Court."

The African Union says warrant for Bashir will compromise peace efforts in Sudan's Darfur region and wants it deferred. Bashir is accused of orchestrating war crimes in Darfur.

Estimates of the death count in Darfur range from 10,000, according to Khartoum, to 300,000, according the United Nations.

Botswana, a favorite of the West for its stable democracy and open economy, has long championed the international court.

The southern African country's vice president said the AU summit had failed the continent by not dealing with Africa's immediate concerns while pushing Gaddafi's pet project - a United States of Africa.