THE HAGUE, Netherlands (BNO NEWS) -- The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese National Defense Minister Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur.

The ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber I issued the arrest warrant which charges him with 20 counts of crimes against humanity and 21 counts of war crimes. The charges include persecution, murder, forcible transfer, rape, inhumane acts, imprisonment or severe deprivation of liberty, torture, attacks against civilian populations, destruction of property, pillaging and outrage upon personal dignity.

These crimes, the ICC said, were allegedly committed against the primarily Fur populations of the towns of Kodoom, Bindisi, Mukjar, Arawala and surrounding areas by the Sudanese armed forces and the Militia/Janjaweed in the context of a counter-insurgency campaign against the Sudanese Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A), the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and other groups opposing the Sudanese government.

In addition, the ICC explained that the plan of the counter-insurgency campaign was "allegedly formulated at the highest levels of the Government of the Republic of the Sudan and had allegedly as a core component an unlawful attack on that part of the civilian population perceived by the Government as being close to the rebel groups."

Hussein is also the former Interior Minister and the former Sudanese President's Special Representative in Darfur, and at these positions, the ICC alleges, he made essential contributions to the formulation and implementation of the common plan, inter alia, through his overall coordination of national, state and local security entities and through the recruitment, arming and funding of the police forces and the Militia/Janjaweed in Darfur.

"Furthermore the Chamber considers that his arrest appears to be necessary to ensure his appearance at trial and to ensure that he will not obstruct or endanger the investigations," the ICC said in a statement. It is unlikely that Sudan will surrender Hussein to the court, even though the situation in Darfur was referred to the ICC by the UN Security Council in March 2005.

ICC judges have previously issued arrest warrants against Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, and summonses to appear for rebel leaders Abdallah Banda, Saleh Jerbo and Abu Garda for war crimes.

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