BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese government will make efforts to accelerate the peace process in Darfur and improve the humanitarian and security situation there so as to achieve all-round development in the whole region, the Sudanese ambassador to China said on Sunday.

    Although the International Criminal Court (ICC) has launched a campaign against President Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese government will honor its obligations with more responsibility and strive to achieve peace and stability in the region, Ambassador Mirghani Mohamed Salih said in an interview with Xinhua.

    Salih reiterated his country's rejection of the ICC's arrest warrant against al-Bashir for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, which was issued on March 4. The ICC's decision, he said, runs counter to international law, as Sudan is not a member of the ICC and therefore would not be subject to its jurisdiction.

    There is no justification whatsoever for the ICC's charges against the president, Salih said, because they were based on the so-called evidence collected from refugee camps in Chad, suspicious aid groups, and fabricated information given by rebels in Darfur.

    "In fact, the Darfur issue emerged in mid 1980s' after the drought and desertification hit the region, creating conflict overwater and pasture between the local tribes," Salih said.

    The purpose of the ICC's move is to create chaos in Sudan, disturb the peace process and impede humanitarian efforts in Darfur, the ambassador said. However, he added, it has failed to weaken the authority of the state and has only made Sudan's internal fronts more united.

    The ambassador also refuted rumors that ethnic genocide had occurred in Darfur, noting that as of today the United Nations has never described the conflict in Darfur as "genocide."

    A similar conclusion was reached by the international investigative commission appointed by former UN chief Kofi Annan in October 2004 and set up at the request of the Security Council to probe the human rights situation in Darfur, Salih said, adding that the ICC itself also rejected its chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo's allegations in this regard.

    In response to a question about calls for deferring the arrest warrant for one year, which were made by some Arab and Islamic nations, the ambassador reaffirmed his country's principled position that the decision should be firmly rejected and ultimately abolished.

    Salih appreciated the efforts of relevant countries and regional organizations to push for the deferment, saying it represents an important step in improving the peace process and achieving reconciliation in Darfur, and will contribute to the settlement of the crisis in a regional context.

    He said the Sudanese government has sent presidential envoys to countries around the world, particularly to member states of the Security Council, to gather support for efforts to resolve the crisis.

    With regard to the recent expulsion of 13 non-governmental aid groups that operated in Sudan, Salih said they had been engaged in activities oversteping the bounds of those allowed and ignored repeated warnings.

    The ambassador explained that the decision to expel these aid groups is not directed at foreign voluntary organizations, as more than 70 foreign groups are still operating there, including all UN agencies, the International Red Cross, and some Red Crescent organizations.

    In addition, a joint team was set up between the Sudanese government and the UN to assess humanitarian needs in the region and arrange suitable alternatives in administrative and technical areas, Salih said.

    To achieve the goal of all-round development in the country, the Sudanese government will seek to unite internal fronts and achieve reconciliation among tribal factions, he said. It will also strengthen cooperation with other countries, such as China, in a host of projects, including those in infrastructure construction, Salih said.