Indonesia questions ICC's decision on Beshir

Indonesia has raised concerns over the arrest warrant issued by the ICC for Sudanese President Omar Hassanal-Beshir, saying it would strike a blow to the ongoing peace process in Darfur.

"We are very concerned with the implications the indictment might have on the Darfur peace process. We would like to hear more assessment from the ICC on how adverse the effect the warrant will be on the peace process," Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said Friday.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued its first ever warrant for a sitting head of state on Wednesday for allegedly committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The Sudanese leader is accused of orchestrating a campaign of genocide, killing thousands of people outright, and being responsible for the deaths of at least 100,000 more in Sudan's remote west over the past five years.

"We are also questioning why the indictment is being issued now. There has never been an arrest warrant issued for a sitting head of state over accusations of crimes against humanity," Faizasyah said.

"The president was elected by his people and is therefore legitimately running the country. He has also played a role in the peace process supported by African Union member countries."

Faizasyah confirmed a Sudanese envoy visited Jakarta on Friday but could not detail the purpose of his visit.

Indonesia sent 140 police officers to Darfur as part of a UN peacekeeping mission last year, joining a total of 26,000 personnel from more than 46 countries.