ICC has given Malawi up to November 11, 2011 to clarify why it failed to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir when he visited the country for 15th Common Market for Eastern and Southem Africa (COMESA) summit. The Sudanese President has been indicted by the ICC and issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Sudan's troubled Darfur region.

The Registrar of the ICC had sent a letter to the Malawian Embassy in Brussels on October 13, 2011 asking for his government’s cooperation in arresting President Bashir in the event that he entered the southern African nation’s territory.

The note was not responded to and the Malawian government has downplayed the same, stating that the country was yet to come up with a conclusive response to the International Criminal Court’s request and that this would take a bit of time.

In the foregoing, a US Congressman Mr Wolf has asked the Obama administration to cut aid to Malawi. According to the US administration Malawi stands to lose $ 350 Million after refusing to arrest Mr. Bashir.

Mr Bashir is the first sitting president indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC)