Sudan president returns to Darfur

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Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has visited Darfur for the second time since the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest.

Mr Bashir told supporters in Sibdo village that rebels fighting his government should lay down their arms.

His visit coincides with the inaugural meeting in Ethiopia of a special African Union Darfur panel, chaired by ex-South African President Thabo Mbeki.

Mr Bashir was indicted by the court for alleged war crimes in the region.

A BBC correspondent in Ethiopia says the AU is trying to come up with arguments for postponing the indictment.

'Untold misery'

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said Mr Bashir will be held responsible for "every single death" in the Darfur refugee camps.Hillary Clinton said 1.4 million refugees were at risk

Mrs Clinton said Khartoum's recent decision to expel 13 foreign aid agencies would cause "untold misery".

Sudan threw out the groups after Mr Bashir was indicted.

Speaking in Washington on Tuesday, Mrs Clinton said Sudan's decision to expel the aid groups earlier this month was endangering the lives of 1.4 million refugees.

President Barack Obama is set to name a retired US Air Force general as his special envoy to Sudan later.

General Scott Gration - an Africa expert and a Swahili speaker - accompanied Mr Obama on a trip to Africa in 2006 and was an adviser during his presidential campaign.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was "deeply concerned" by the threat to UN personnel after Tuesday's killing by unknown attackers of a UN peacekeeper in South Darfur.

The ambush in Nyala was the second attack such since the 4 March war crimes arrest warrant for Sudan's president which has sent tensions rising in Darfur.

On Monday, Sudan said foreign aid groups, which carry out the bulk of humanitarian work in Darfur, would no longer be allowed to work on the ground in a year's time.

Khartoum said Sudanese aid agencies would take over.