ICC puts Darfur rebel leader's trial on ice

The Hague (AFP) - The International Criminal Court on Wednesday postponed until further notice the war crimes trial of Darfur rebel leader Abdallah Banda, blaming "logistic difficulties" for the hold-up.

"Today the trial chamber decided to vacate the date of May 5, initially scheduled for the opening of the trial... of Abdallah Banda," the Hague-based court said in a statement.

"The chamber will decide in due course on the further steps to take, after receiving additional submissions from the prosecution and registry," it added.

Banda, around 51, faces three war crimes charges for allegedly leading an attack on African Union peacekeepers in war-ravaged northern Darfur in September 2007, killing 12.

About 1,000 assailants took part in the massive attack targeting peacekeepers from the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS).

Armed with rocket launchers and anti-aircraft guns the attackers opened fire on the AU's military base at Haskanita in southern Sudan, before looting it.

Banda's co-accused, Saleh Jerbo, 36, who was supposed to accompany him in the dock, has since been killed in fighting, Jerbo's lawyers told the court last year.

Banda, who is not in custody, appeared voluntarily before the court in June 2010 where he urged other war crimes suspects to surrender.

The court's judges confirmed in March 2011 there was enough evidence to put him on trial for "violence to life, intentionally directing attacks against peacekeepers and pillaging".

Four others are wanted for war crimes in Darfur: Sudanese Defence Minister Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein, former Sudanese government minister Ahmad Harun, pro-government Janjaweed militia leader Ali Kushayb and Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, whom prosecutors accuse of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur.

Bashir continues to defy an ICC arrest warrant as he travels around the continent, including visiting the Democratic Republic of Congo in February for a summit.

At least 300,000 people have been killed in Darfur and two million people forced to flee their homes since non-Arab rebels first rose up against the Arab-dominated Khartoum regime in 2003, the United Nations says.

The government puts the death toll at 10,000 people.