South Africa faces a diplomatic dilemma. It invited Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to president-elect Jacob Zuma’s inauguration on Saturday, but hopes he will stay away as the government would have to arrest him for alleged war crimes.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for al-Bashir’s arrest in March, accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region of Sudan. In retaliation, al-Bashir suspended major western aid agencies in his country.

A source in the Presidency said yesterday that although Al-Bashir was invited it would not be in his interests to come to SA.

“If he does, that will create a situation, and we would be forced to arrest him, and we don’t want that,” he said.

As a signatory to the Rome Statute on the ICC, SA would be compelled to arrest him should he visit here.

Government spokesman Themba Maseko confirmed that al-Bashir had been invited, along with other heads of state, but said his presence was “not advisable”.

The full story here.