Washington  - The United States urged the Sudanese government and rebel groups in the country to show restraint after an international court issued an arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

The International Criminal Court on Wednesday charged al-Bashir with five counts of crimes against humanity and two counts of war crimes for his government's backing of the brutal war in Darfur that has claimed at least 300,000 lives, mostly civilians.

"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.

"We urge the government of Sudan, armed rebel groups, and all other concerned parties to exercise restraint in responding to this development and to ensure the safety and security of vulnerable Sudanese populations, international civilians, and peacekeepers on the ground," he added.

The United States has enacted sanctions against al-Bashir and top Sudanese officials to pressure them to end the five-year conflict in Darfur, but is not party to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Bush administration withdrew the United States from the treaty establishing the ICC, arguing that it could be used for politically motivated prosecutions against US soldiers. (dpa)