Sudanese demonstrators were defiant, while the response was mixed around the world Wednesday to the International Criminal Court announcement that it was seeking the arrest of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on war crimes and crimes against humanity charges.

Thousands of al-Bashir's supporters rallied in the capital Khartoum, shouting "God is great" and "With our souls and our blood we defend you, al-Bashir." They also carried banners that read, "Shame, shame, (ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno) Ocampo is an ass."

The Sudanese government considers decision by the court in The Hague as "neo-colonialism," according to the Al-Arabiya news channel.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Yusuf Ali told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa that al-Bashir would attend an Arab summit in Qatar later this month despite the international arrest warrant.

Around the world, reaction was mixed, ranging from restraint in the US, scepticism in Russia, calls in Europe for al-Bashir to comply with the warrant, to support for the Sudanese leader from a number of Arab countries and parties.

In Washington, the US was cautious in its response, urging the Sudanese government and rebel groups to show restraint in the wake of the ICC decision.

"The United States is strongly committed to the pursuit of peace in Sudan and believes those who have committed atrocities should be held accountable for their crimes," said Gordon Duguid, the State Department's acting deputy spokesman.

The US itself is not a party to the ICC. The Bush administration withdrew the US from the treaty establishing the ICC, arguing that it could be used for politically motivated prosecutions of US soldiers.

In New York, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on the Sudanese government to cooperate with the joint UN- African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur despite the arrest warrant.

Fearing retaliation from Khartoum, Ban asked Sudan to "fully cooperate with all UN entities and their implementing partners, while fulfilling its obligation to ensure the safety and security of the civilian population, UN personnel and property, and that of its implementing partners."

Khartoum had threatened the entire peace process in Sudan led by the United Nations if the ICC were to seek the arrest of al-Bashir, who is charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Ban said in a statement that he recognizes the authority of the ICC "as an independent judicial institution."

At the same time in New York, however, Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday welcomed the ICC arrest warrant, with the group saying that it "signals that even those at the top may be held accountable for mass murder, rape and torture.

"Not even presidents are guaranteed a free pass for horrific crimes," HRW International Justice Program director Richard Dicker was quoted as saying in a statement.

But there was scepticism in the Kremlin's reaction in Moscow. Warning about the danger of further instability in Sudan, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman warned that the ICC decision could further destabilize the situation in Sudan.

In Berlin, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called Wednesday for Sudan to respect the arrest warrant. "The ICC is the guarantor that serious crimes don't remain unpunished and the victims don't remain unredeemed. I therefore challenge Sudan to respect the decision of the ICC and react in a considerate manner."

The Berlin minister also called on Sudan to obey international rules protecting foreign missions and non-governmental organisations present in the country.

That response contrasted sharply with reactions coming from some Arab corners. In Gaza City, the de-facto government of the radical Islamist Hamas movement condemned the ICC, with Hamas spokesman Taher al-Noono in a written statement sent to reporters calling the decision "unjust."

De-facto Hamas Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haniya two years ago had visited Sudan, which has good relations with Hamas, otherwise isolated by much of the international community.

"The Palestinian government denounces and condemns the international court's warrant. It considers it an unjust political decision and shows that the world's justice looks with one eye," said al-Noono.

The warrant expresses "the American will which ignores the real criminals of the Zionist leaders who committed awful massacres and crimes against our people."

In Amman, Jordanian political parties and trade unions staged a sit-in to protest the arrest warrant.

The participants, who gathered outside the Trade Unions Complex, chanted slogans and raised placards in support of al-Bashir and accused the ICC of being a "tool in the hands of the United States, Israel and other anti-Arab powers." (dpa)