Sudan's leader leaves South Africa before court orders arrest

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, a man accused of war crimes and genocide, has left South Africa one step ahead of the law.

Al-Bashir left the country Monday just as a South African High Court decided to order his arrest.

The human rights group that had petitioned the court to order al-Bashir's arrest, the Southern Africa Litigation Centre, said in a statement it was disappointed that the government allowed the Sudanese President to leave before the ruling.

Judge Hans Fabricius had ruled Sunday that al-Bashir had to stay in South Africa while a court considered whether he should be arrested. The judge also ordered all ports in the country to prevent the Sudanese leader from leaving.

But lawyers arguing in court for al-Bashir's arrest warned, in advance, that the ports of entry and exit were not obeying the judge's order.

(CNN)