Sudan's genocide-accused President Bashir in Kenya

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is to arrive in China on Monday for a state visit, with rights groups outraged over the warm welcome for a man accused of genocide and war crimes.China is a key supporter of Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity that occurred in Sudan's war-torn western Darfur region during the country's civil war.

Kenya formally adopted a new constitution Friday in a ceremony attended by several African leaders including Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, despite being indicted for genocide and warcrimes.His presence threatened to overshadow a landmark ceremony watched by tens of thousands of onlookers in which Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki signed the constitution into law in Nairobi's main park.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and genocide, will attend this week's Arab Summit in Baghdad, Iraq'a state television reported Sunday.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is to hold talks on Tuesday in Qatar, a key broker in the floundering Darfur peace process, amid reports of fresh air strikes in the war-torn western region."On his (two-day) visit, President Bashir will meet Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, and the talks are expected to address the negotiations and the mediation efforts on the Darfur file," Sudan's ambassador to Qatar told the Sudanese Media Centre, which is close to the government.

NAIROBI (Reuters) -

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir issued a decree on Tuesday that paves the way for a referendum on how the Darfur region should be governed, a move slammed by rebel groups who said it would torpedo the faltering peace talks."President Omar al-Bashir issued a decree today to conduct a referendum to determine the permanent administrative status of Darfur," Sudan's official SUNA news agency reported, without specifying when the plebiscite would be held.