South Africa has said it might leave the
International Criminal Court (ICC) after a row over the court's attempt to have
Sudan's president arrested there.
Omar al-Bashir was allowed to attend an
African Union summit in South Africa despite being wanted by the ICC on charges
of genocide and war crimes.
After a cabinet meeting, the government
said it would review membership "for a number of
reasons".
But it stressed it took its international
obligations "seriously".
A South African court had ordered Mr Bashir
to stay in the country while it ruled whether he could be arrested. The
government said he enjoyed diplomatic immunity.
Mr Bashir denies the ICC charges he
committed atrocities in Sudan's troubled western Darfur region.
South Africa had "to balance its
obligations to the ICC with its obligations to the AU and individual
states", the South African government tweeted.
The country may consider withdrawing from
the ICC as a "last resort", it added.
Previously, the AU has urged member states
not to cooperate with the ICC, accusing it of bias against Africa.
BBC
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