Uganda said on Monday it would consider acting on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant against Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir if he comes to Kampala for an international conference at the end of the month.
But Bashir -- whom the ICC has indicted over crimes in Sudan's western Darfur region -- is not a "chicken-thief" to be pursued unceremoniously, added Okello Oryem, a junior foreign minister responsible for international relations.
"So until Bashir is here, I cannot tell you if or not he will be arrested," he said at a news conference together with ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo.
Media in the region say Bashir has been considering attending a global affairs meeting, called Smart Partnership Dialogue, along with other heads of state, at the end of July.
Sudanese officials seldom confirm his trips in advance.
Uganda is a signatory to the ICC, so a visit by the Sudanese leader would force Kampala to decide if it implements or ignores the arrest warrant, which has stirred controversy across Africa.
Moreno-Ocampo said Uganda would be obliged to arrest the Sudanese president, and cited the case of South Africa where he said the possibility of detention stopped him attending President Jacob Zuma's inauguration in May.
"LEGAL OBLIGATION"
"South Africa informed Bashir that he could be invited to President Zuma's inauguration, but if he is there he could be arrested," the ICC prosecutor said.
"It's a legal obligation not a political decision, it's a court decision and Uganda, South Africa and the 30 African (member) state parties have this legal obligation, it's clear."
The Ugandan official, Oryem, said Kampala had an "unwavering" commitment to the ICC statute.
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