Sudan president Defies ICC warrants again and travels to Mecca in Saudi Arabia for Islamic pilgrimage

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir arrived in the western Saudi port city of Jeddah on Wednesday to perform Umrah (an Islamic pilgrimage) rituals, the state-run SPA news agency reported.

He was received at King Abdulaziz International Airport by Prince Misha'al bin Majid bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Jeddah Governorate and a number of officials, according to the report.

The Sudanese president's trip follows his participation in a summit of the Arab states and another of the Arab and Latin American countries in the Qatari capital Doha in the past two days.

The Arab summit announced in the final communique its rejection of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the Sudanese president, reiterating its support for the sovereignty, stability and unity of Sudan.

After the issuance of the ICC arrest warrant on March 4, the Sudanese president had also paid visits to Eritrea, Egypt and Libya.

(Xinhua)