Sudan was told to hand over its president to face charges of war crimes in Darfur as the International Criminal Court issued its first ever arrest warrant against a sitting head of state. President Omar al-Beshir's government immediately dismissed the move as thousands of Sudanese took to the streets to vent their anger while his allies, including the African Union and Russia, said it would undermine peace efforts. However the warrant was hailed by Darfur's rebels, and the US said anyone guilty of atrocities in Darfur must be held accountable. The EU urged Khartoum to fully cooperate with the ICC.
